Workplace bullying is a big issue in Aotearoa, with one in 10 workers feeling harassed, or bullied at work. This year CMOS joined the fight against bullying by participating in Pink Shirt Day 2021.
Pink Shirt Day originated in Canada in 2007, when two students took a stand against homophobic bullying after a student was harassed for wearing pink. Hundreds of students turned up in pink the next day, and Pink Shirt Day has been celebrated around the globe ever since.
Our Pink Shirt Day
Our Pink Shirt week kicked off with our office staff being given a Pink Shirt Day award to give to someone else that they think upholds the Pink Shirt Day values. These include kōrero awhi (communicating positively), aroha and kindness (love and kindness), and mana manaaki (building up people’s mana).
Each day during the week we posted kōrero cards to our staff Facebook page to learn more about our work whānau. These cards focused on diversity and celebrating the differences between our teammates. From this experience we gained some fascinating insights into our team’s whānau traditions, childhood experiences and much more.
On Friday the office staff adorned their best pink outfits and we dove into some deep discussions. People shared their experiences, awards were given and we all left knowing one another a bit more. Having the open forum to discuss workplace bullying and other aspects of our lives brought teammates closer together and gave people a supportive space to talk.
Pink Shirt Day is a great way to get to know those around you better, and knowing your teammates well, makes them more likely to share with you when something is wrong. A supportive environment makes for a more resilient team and stronger workplace relationships.
