News and Insight - What does inclusion mean for you in your workplace?

Is it feeling welcome in your office and by your colleagues, or not being afraid to speak up when something isn’t right? Or perhaps it’s accessible facilities which meet your personal needs.  

I not only feel a responsibility to ensure my team are happy, but also a responsibility to provide a collaborative, welcoming space, and inclusive community for our Level39 members here in Canary Wharf.

Our people, and the importance of ED&I, are at the core of Level39 and Canary Wharf Group. We offer training and talks to highlight and discuss the issues of ED&I, and empowering individuals with tools can often be a practical next step. In early 2020, I met the lovely Rosie Turner from InChorus, a research and data business, who introduced me to the Inclusion Slackbot. In layman’s terms, the Inclusion Slackbot is a chat function, embedded in your company Slack channel, which enables individuals to anonymously report experiences of day-to-day microaggressions (indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group). But it’s not all bad – it also encourages individuals to recognise inclusive behaviours. The Slackbot was created following InChorus’ research project aimed at understanding bias and harassment experienced by individuals working in fintech, a sector close to our hearts at Level39, which revealed alarming results:

85% of workplace harassment is gender based with high incidents of ‘everyday sexism’

84% of sector employees have been harassed more than once

10% of incidents were instances of ‘unwanted physical contact’ such as groping

Why is a tool like this so important for the workplace? Level39, and other communities, operate on openness, creativity, and a willingness to collaborate. Tools, like the Inclusion Slackbot, encourage a ‘speak up’ culture in the workplace, and enables individuals to identify and report problematic behaviours, as well as celebrate inclusive ones. That’s why we decided to integrate the Inclusion Slackbot into our team and member Slack channels at Level39 – with a community of over 180 companies operating in fintech, cyber, smart cities and more, it’s vital we provide a working environment where individuals feel empowered and diverse talent thrives. 

Connect with us at Level39 through our socials and learn more about the Inclusion Slackbot here – https://inchorus.org/fintech.