Written by Eric Kearsley, Willow Street. This piece was first published here, the LancasterSpeaksUp.com blog, on December 16, 2020 with permission from the author. It has been submitted to LancasterOnline/LNP for consideration as a Letter to the Editor.
The LNP should be lauded for sponsoring the idea of a “Best Workplaces” insert. No doubt it generates advertising revenue for our only newspaper, but it also encourages good practices by our local businesses. Unfortunately, the Employee Survey Questions completely leaves out any mention of diversity or inclusivity. Based on the US Census, DATA USA reports that in 2018 only 40.3 % of Lancaster city are White (non-Hispanic), a full 32.3% are Hispanic, and 14.4% are Black; the remainder are Asian or multiracial. I suggest that every workplace that is truly welcoming to all should demonstrate their commitment to diversity/inclusivity by having a formal statement to that effect on their websites, their personnel documents, and their training programs. It should also be one of the criteria included on the annual LNP Employee Survey.
Ref: https://datausa.io/profile/geo/lancaster-pa/#demographics
UPDATE: Mr. Kearsley was contacted by LNP after reading this submission. LNP reiterated their commitment to supporting workplace diversity and reported that they will work with their team to include diversity in the workplace survey for next year.
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