Unity in Faith and Belief

During these unprecedented times of the covid-19 pandemic, we have all had to adjust and respond to worldwide changes. For individuals who practice their faith, they would typically attend their local Church, Synagogue, Gurdwara or Temple. The seismic shift in restrictions as it relates to how we work, socialise and travel changed everything that we knew as ‘normal’. However, what has not changed for me is my faith. 

Faith is an individual understanding that there is something greater than us, a higher being. Through these challenging times what became apparent was unity through the various faiths and beliefs as many of us supported people in our respective communities who were less fortunate than ourselves. 

In the workplace, the Faith and Belief network supported members and colleagues in dealing with bereavement, well-being and offering a listening ear.  Our membership consists of a range of faiths and beliefs and we are united in sharing our values, the joy, peace and reassurance of our lived experience through our faith or belief.

Unity in the workplace has many layers and our faith or belief is one layer of intersectionality that we embrace and orientate as we learn from and educate one another. If we are to acknowledge that the underlying goal of faith or belief is one where we create a sense of purpose, remove discord, and discover a higher truth, then it implies a certain humanity about one’s own position. By creating an inclusive environment in the workplace, where we operate as One Team enables all employees to make an effective and valued contribution as we embrace diversity, provide and deliver services with equity in mind and make our workplaces fully inclusive. 

It’s important to understand the demographics of our organisation if we are to help our leaders and networks make informed decisions about the support needed. Each of us has an opportunity to declare our diversity data through the annual People Survey. Our declarations are anonymous and rich data is so important if we are to improve the employee experience and fully embrace equality, diversity and inclusion here in DIO.

Veronica Wilkinson | Chair Faith and Belief Network