By PSC’s Melissa Bauer, Anne Klein, & Ashley Lane
At PSC, we are using the opportunities June presents to think about our journey and work dedicated to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (D.E.I.). As we celebrate both Pride and Juneteenth, we take time for both reflection and reconnection. This month is a time to celebrate and honor our LGBTQIA+ and African American colleagues, members, and communities, as well as contemplate and plan for progress that is still needed.
This year PSC was proud to observe Juneteenth as a PSC holiday. June 19th, named “Juneteenth”, marks the day in 1865 when news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas — nearly two and a half years after Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery. Juneteenth has long been celebrated in African American communities as a second Independence Day, but until recently was not well known to most Americans.
June is also Pride Month, commemorating the Stonewall uprising which started on June 28, 1969 in New York City, and continued for six days.
Juneteenth and Pride Month can be difficult to navigate for the marginalized communities still struggling for equal rights, and for those allies who want to honor past achievements and come together in ways that would have been unthinkable not that long ago. At PSC, we celebrate Juneteenth and Pride as opportunities to reflect on our journey towards inclusivity and anti-racism, celebrate the progress made, and reflect on how to serve our employees and community of members moving forward.
We are proud of our community member companies reaching out to us for support and guidance on how to assess their internal DEI practices. This interest soared in 2020 as a result of public events and protests around the country. Driven by a desire to improve practices and strive for an inclusive workforce, yet fearful about inadvertently making missteps, companies are often paralyzed by the sensitive nature of diversity, equity and inclusion and are often unable to move forward.
To help our PSC Members and the pet industry as a whole, PSC has developed a suite of tools and resources to help managers, leaders and employees in the pet industry raise awareness and take positive actions around DEI topics.
In late 2020 we launched the PSC’s WeSpire DEI Challenge, designed to inspire 1,000 Actions in 30 days. Through WeSpire’s educational and gamified platform, we provided an interactive way for companies to engage their employees in learning more about diversity, equity and inclusion. The challenge ultimately resulted in over 6,000 actions from 50+ companies and 450+ participants. Learn more about the 2020 DEI Challenge results here.
At PSC we believe in elevating the voices and resources of experts. We partner with organizations such as the Equity Project and Defy Ventures to offer DEI services such as fair chance hiring workshops, organizational assessments, and strategic planning to our members.
We recently added a DEI resource guide to our toolkit. This guide includes links to research, best practices, and thought leadership on a variety of topics that influence diversity, equity and inclusion, such as allyship, implicit bias and environmental justice.
We are committed to continued improvement and growth at PSC as we work to build a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable pet industry and organization. We are also committed to working with our members and industry partners and invite all to join us on this journey.
About the Toolkit
If you aren’t sure where to begin or just want to raise your own awareness on the topic of DEI, check out our free Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Toolkit. You will find tools like the free Sustainable Development Goals Action Manager Assessment, which includes several modules to help you understand your company’s baseline on equity and inclusion. SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 12 (Reduced Inequality) will all help companies measure performance and set goals. The Toolkit also includes an extensive DEI Resource Guide, with links to research, best practices and thought leadership on a variety of topics such as allyship, implicit bias and environmental justice.
Finally, PSC Member companies also have access to more hands-on DEI training. Use your project credits to engage our consulting partners The Equity Project LLC and Defy Ventures in workshops such as Deconstructing Equity and Fair Chance Hiring. Feel free to reach out to us at info@petsustainability.org to help identify the right resources for your organization! Help us continue to make the world better for our pets, people + planet.
Accredited Companies & DEI
Accredited company inClover is female owned and since 2005 they have partnered with Imagine! Core/ Labor Source to provide employment opportunities for dozens of specially abled workers.
The Wellness Pet Company has their commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on their website and encourages “Wellies” to bring their whole selves to work. They focus on diverse hiring and providing resources to all of their employees tailored to their personal growth.
Mondi Group has set targets to employ 30% women and to achieve 90% satisfaction on their inclusivity survey by 2030 and are reporting that they are on track to meet those targets.
Every year Moderna Plastics chooses an organization to support throughout the year. This year they are supporting Hachiko, a Belgian Association that trains dogs to support people with disabilities.
