February 26 is Pink Shirt Day

February 25, 2020 - Defence Stories

February 26 is Pink Shirt Day and Defence Team members are encouraged to proudly wear pink to show that you stand up to bullying. The focus for 2020 is #LiftEachOtherUp!

Every individual has the right to a workplace free of bullying, harassment, and discrimination, so let’s all think about how we can help reduce bullying and contribute to a healthier and safer workplace.

One approach to creating awareness is to ask questions that prompt us to think about our own behaviour, and how it might affect others. The goal is to consider our own role in enabling or eliminating workplace bullying.

A culture of kindness in the workplace has been shown to:

• Strengthen employee mental health and well-being;
• Improve employee engagement and performance;
• Reduce stress and absenteeism;
• Boost productivity;
• Increase retention rates;
• Elevate teamwork and collaboration; and
• Decrease of accidents and incidents.

Find more information on conflict resolution, harassment, and grievance at National Defence.