Diversity & Inclusion Policy

"Embrace differences" is one of our core values at Unity Web Agency. As part of this, we are committed to a workplace culture that values and promotes diversity and inclusion while striving for equity and justice. This includes:

• Applying principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) to achieve equal employment opportunities for qualified individuals of all backgrounds.
• Attracting, recruiting, retaining, engaging, supporting, developing, and advancing underrepresented and diverse team members, including women, people of color, LGBTQ individuals, people with disabilities, and any other underrepresented groups of people.
• Promoting respectfulness, cultural awareness, and inclusivity by:
  • Fostering a collaborative work environment in which all team members participate and contribute;
  • Empowering and providing a safe space for all team members to express themselves, exchange ideas, and be heard; and
  • Encouraging team members to be open and curious about others' experiences and perspectives.

Definitions

Diversity includes but is not limited to differences in race, ethnicity, sex, gender, sexual orientation or identity, disability, religion, age, national origin, military or veteran status, and other categories protected under state and local law. Diversity also includes differences in backgrounds, experiences, perspectives, thoughts, interests, and ideas.

Inclusion means ensuring that all team members are valued, heard, engaged, and involved at work and have full opportunities to collaborate, contribute, and grow professionally.

Equity is often used interchangeably with equality, but there's an important difference: equality means each individual is offered the same opportunities and access regardless of circumstances, but equity distributes resources based on needs. We live in a disproportionate society, and equity tries to correct its imbalance by creating more opportunities and access for people who have historically had less access.

While we strive for equitable representation of team members, the purpose of this policy is not to favor certain individuals or groups or have the effect of excluding other individuals or groups.

Justice is the overall mission of equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts: that an equitable system works so well it eventually eliminates the systemic problems driving the need for equity because everything is fairly and evenly accessible to all people regardless of race, gender, disability, or other personal circumstance.

Responsibilities

All leaders, managers, and team members play a role in making Unity a diverse and inclusive place to work for everyone.

The CEO will be responsible for providing this policy to all team members and for providing ongoing support as needed.

All team members and contractors will be responsible for reading this policy carefully and openly and making every effort to understand the importance of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion and the ways we can accomplish these objectives together.

This policy is not intended to restrict communications or actions protected or required by state or federal law.

Program Evaluation

We always welcome suggestions from team members about how we can be more inclusive and address and improve diversity, equity, and justice issues. If you have any comments, concerns, or suggestions, please contact Alisa Herr. We prohibit retaliation against employees for making good faith suggestions or complaints regarding Unity's diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Unity Web Agency will check in with team member(s), managers, and HR on a regular basis, at least annually as part of a review process, to ensure that this policy is being followed and improved upon as needed.