Should My Company Make a Public Statement Regarding Social Justice or Police Reform Issues?

Major media headlines as well as social media are dominated with issues of protest, social justice, and police reform. Many large corporations have made public statements about their stance on these issues. Other companies are uncertain whether to make a statement, and if they do, how their employees and others will react.

The authors of the article published in Benefits Pro suggest, “a statement or policy is not likely to satisfy all constituents and could actually make a touchy situation worse”. Given those words of caution, here are some of their recommendations:

Support diversity, but don’t force the conversation. Implement diversity training focused on helping employees work together more effectively and foster a dialog among curious colleagues.
Employers can still take action. Silence can indeed be construed as complicity. You can’t ignore what’s going on, but you should address things over which you have some control. Some options include:
- Demonstrate commitment to equitable employment practices
- Match employee contributions to worthwhile causes
- Participate in community activities that support underserved communities
Understand the employee’s and public’s perspective. It’s critical to maintain an open dialog with employees, but that obligation doesn’t extend to the general community.