OurOffice Events

In the ever-evolving global workforce landscape, frontline workers stand as the backbone of many industries, and the importance of their engagement and retention for any organization’s success cannot be overstated.

In today's rapidly evolving world, where change is constant and innovation is key, the importance of learning and development in the workplace cannot be overstated. From equipping employees with the skills and knowledge needed to excel in their roles to fostering a culture of continuous improvement

Although the work of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion has been around for years, in 2020, it became a household name and buzzword. In the aftermath of George Floyd's murder in 2020, many organizations issued statements lamenting his killing and pledged support.

Learning and Development (L&D) has always been an important Human Resources (HR) function, but it is fast becoming even more critical as organizations deal with ongoing challenges and uncertainties, as well as the emergence of new technologies like AI that require re-skilling and cross-training of many employees.

There was not enough time to get everything done at work before, and with the pandemic, it seems we have even less time! This is especially a big problem for L&D programs. The reason is the Ebbinghaus Curve of Forgetting.

In an increasingly globalized world, there is broad recognition that workplaces are often made up of people from diverse cultural backgrounds. What is not spoken about as much is the religious diversity that often accompanies the diverse cultural backgrounds.

Workplace Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts are increasingly part of the national debate. For a majority of employed U.S. adults (56%), the increased effort on workplace DEI in recent years has been a good thing, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. However, public opinions about DEI vary widely, and when it comes to workplace DEI, we see a clear bifurcation across organizations.

Hispanic Heritage Month is a period of celebration and recognition in the United States that pays tribute to the contributions, cultures, histories, and achievements of Hispanic and Latino Americans.

Each June, Pride Month recognizes and celebrates LGBTQ+ people around the world. It also recalls the 1969 Stonewall uprising and is an opportunity to raise awareness of issues still facing this community. On June 19, Pride month intersects with Juneteenth—a day that recognizes the end of slavery in the United States and emphasizes education and achievement among Black Americans.

Each May, we commemorate Older Americans Month (OAM) to encourage and recognize the countless contributions that older adults make to our communities. Their time, experience, and talents enrich the lives of those around them.

April is Autism Acceptance Month. While Autism Awareness Month, as it was previously called, has helped raise awareness of autism and its challenges, some advocates argue that awareness campaigns can perpetuate harmful stereotypes and a deficit-based view of autism.

Sonya Sepahban and Maritza Guerra discuss insights on workplace inclusion in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based on data from their first-ever workplace inclusion study focused on SMEs with less than 2,500 employees.

National Women’s Day was first celebrated in New York City by the Socialist Party of America in 1909. Today the US celebrates a whole month designated as Women’s History Month, and International Women’s Day (IWD) is an official holiday in about 30 countries around the world, including Afghanistan, Cambodia, China (for women only), Cuba, Nepal, Russia, Uganda, Ukraine, Vietnam, and Zambia.

In 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson instituted the first week-long celebration to raise awareness of African Americans' contributions to history. Fifty years later, the week became a month, and today February is celebrated as African American History Month.

We hear about transformational change, the need for it, those doing it, as well as what works and what doesn’t work all the time. But rarely has there been a simple recipe provided by people who have led or had a front row seat to transformational change for the rest of us to apply.

In summer of 2020 the fastest growing C-suite role wasn’t in Growth, Revenue, or even People. It was the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO) role. The field of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is experiencing explosive growth, with countless enterprises launching efforts to build and retain a diverse workforce. However, while this is unquestionably an exciting and long overdue development, demand has grown at a much faster rate than the CDOs, CHROs and their teams need to start and scale their programs. The fact is, without disciplined project management, metrics to measure their current status and monitor progress, and effective ways to engage and hear the voice of their employees, DEI efforts will mostly feel like shooting in the dark.As shared in Harvard Business review, U.S. companies spend roughly $8 billion a year on DEI training alone—but accomplish remarkably little and many diversity-education programs have led to little or no increase in the representation of women and minorities in management.Too many organizations invest resources into DEI without tangible goals to support their workers, which is where DEI is the most impactful for businesses that wish to make a change. DEI Tech empowers HR and DEI leaders with the capabilities to connect and engage their employees, implement their DEI Plan with Objectives and Actions and track their progress with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Open enrollment is soon to be underway, which means it’s almost time for employees to select their benefits packages for next year. With the downturn in the economy, some employers are scaling back on offering a robust employee benefits package, while others are working to expand their offerings to attract new talent and retain employees.

Today it’s more difficult than ever for CEOs and HR leaders at Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to compete for talent, customers and investment dollars. Over half of the US workforce is actively planning to leave their jobs, and 80% of them prioritize inclusion and belonging in their search for a new employer. Moreover, inclusive organizations are six (6) times more likely to be innovative and three (3) times more likely to retain talent.

Started by the National Committee on Pay Equity (NCPE) in 1996, the goal of Equal Pay Day is to raise awareness about the gender wage gap. Equal Pay Days throughout the calendar year helps to bring awareness to the pay inequities that often exist for women, especially women of color.

Today it’s more difficult than ever for CEOs and HR leaders at small and medium organizations to compete for talent, customers and investment dollars. Over half of the US workforce is actively planning to leave their jobs, and 80% of them prioritize inclusion and belonging in their search for a new employer. Moreover, inclusive organizations are six (6) times more likely to be innovative and three (3) times more likely to retain talent.

ESG and sustainability have become essential elements of strategy, risk management and reporting for many organizations. Given the rising importance of ESG and the increased focus on the Social element of ESG, we are delighted to have a global expert, Meredith Miller on a fireside chat with OurOffice CEO, Sonya Sepahban.

The unplanned global experiment with hybrid work has largely proven beneficial for employees and employers. In fact, “74% of U.S. companies are using or plan to implement a permanent hybrid work model,” while “55% of employees want to work remotely at least three days a week.” Meanwhile, key leaders at major firms, like Goldman Sachs CEO, David Solomon, are demanding all their employees return to the office 5 days a week! So the debate is far from over, and even many of those who are convinced that they need to make it work will admit that they have not yet figured it all out.

The pandemic has exposed inequities and widened the gaps in many ways. Gender inequity is no exception. It has been broadly reported that the pandemic has disproportionately impacted working women, resulting in an alarming reversal of gains made in recent years. One study in 2021 found that 64% of college-educated mothers had reduced their working hours, compared with 36% of college-educated fathers. Also children spent more than twice as much time with telecommuting moms than dads.

Most would agree that 2020 marked a significant shift in the personal and professional lives of many in the US and around the world. Just as the inequities and challenges of the pandemic were coming into full view, the killing of George Floyd shook the world and seemed to elevate workplace culture to its rightful level of priority. Almost two years later, many are asking if the focus on workplace culture as a leadership imperative has run its course.

As many organizations are preparing to celebrate Black History Month in February, we look forward to discussing how it can be reimagined in 2022 almost a hundred years after it was first announced by historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History.

Civilian businesses can bring in diverse talent at any level. The Marine Corps and other DoD services have to grow diversity from within. We are fortunate to talk to the highest-ranking female leader in the Marine Corps, until she retired earlier this year, about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

The term Psychological Safety is believed to have been coined in the 1960’s by researchers Schein and Bennis. Since it has been further researched and popularized by others, including Amy Edmondson in her book, “The Fearless Organization.” At

The OurOffice approach to building an inclusive workplace consists of the 3 P’s. In this webinar, we will discuss the third “P” -- the

The OurOffice approach to building an inclusive workplace consists of the 3 P’s. In this webinar we will discuss the second “P” -- Professional Guidance. You will learn about the importance of professional guidance for your Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) efforts to be effective and sustainable in the long-term and achieve the desired ROI.

The OurOffice approach to building an inclusive workplace consists of the 3 P’s. In this webinar, we will discuss the first “P” -- the Process

Nearly half of all employees are actively planning to change jobs this year because they can work remotely and there has been a significant shift in candidate expectations with over 80% of all candidates prioritizing inclusion as a key factor in their choice of a future employer. This explains why many organizations find it challenging in this hot labor market to bring candidates from under-represented backgrounds through the pipeline and successfully retain them.

Shifting employee expectations in a hot labor market, coupled with emerging Board, ESG and other stakeholder requirements have propelled Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) from a check-the-box or nice-to-have effort to a

Many organizations are convinced that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are must-haves. But are not sure about steps to Ensure their DEI efforts produce the intended outcomes. Please join USI’s Katone Roberts and Sonya Sepahban, OurOffice CEO, as they discuss how you can make the link between business goals and DEI, connect and engage everyone, and transform your workplace culture with the simple 3-step ACT process.

Many organizations are disappointed after they have worked hard on building a more diverse workforce, only to experience retention and engagement issues. The fact is, diversity does not automatically lead to more inclusion and is certainly not sustainable without inclusion. So it’s best to make inclusion the priority to achieve benefits like attracting and retaining talent of diverse backgrounds.

This is a fireside chat that you can't miss! Trial attorney, Joseph West of Duane Morris LLP, will talk about his days at Walmart when they made DEI a requirement for their legal team, as well as his thoughts on recent events since the Geroge Floyd killing and how to ensure we don't lose momentum.

We are not all the same. We each bring our own skills, experiences, and backgrounds to our work. These differences are valuable assets that we are focusing on through allyship.

There is more pressure than ever before from customers and employees for organizations to have consistent and authentic messaging that includes Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in their brand promise.

Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) are often faced with conflicting priorities from creating shareholder value to ensuring their teams remain cohesive and feel included especially during recent events. OurOffice CEO, Sonya Sepahban, will be joined by President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AM General, Andy Hove ,to discuss his perspective on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Chief Human Resource Officers (CHROs) have had a lot to deal with in the last 12 months. They also realize that DEI isn’t about making statements or checking boxes, but rather fostering a culture of inclusion in the workplace Join us on Thursday, April 22nd, at 10am PST (1pm EST) as we discuss:

A series of polls by NPR, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation on the Impact of Coronavirus on Households in Major U.S. Cities, found that many experienced widespread, serious financial and health problems since the start of the crisis. An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) can help your employees stay at work and be productive during difficult times. Larger organizations may need to rethink their EAP program, and new solutions are available for organizations who may have thought they were too small to afford an EAP program before.

A recent Deloitte Survey found that Millennials and Gen Z’ers are more likely to stay 5+ years with employers with diverse workforce and management teams. Organizations are looking for effective and efficient ways to improve Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in order to attract and retain talent and improve ROI.

A PWC report shows that companies that have used professional coaching for business reasons have seen a 7 X return on their investment. While benefits of coaching are well documented, many C-suite executives and Board members are very busy and have already benefited from leadership development coaching. Meanwhile, they are also searching for effective and efficient ways to improve Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in their organizations and their industry. Welcome to Inclusive Coaching!

Join OurOffice CEO, Sonya Sepahban and Dr. Tonya Matthews, Associate Provost for Inclusive Workforce Development at Wayne State University for an information session at noon PST, 3 pm EST on January 19th. We will describe how we leverage the OurOffice expertise, proven process, and technology platform to build inclusive workplaces, while also training the next generation of DEI professionals and leaders with university graduate students and active DEI Managers who are interested in their professional development.

Did you know a recent survey by BCG indicates that 97% of organizations have a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) program, but only 25% of their targeted employees benefit from them? Join us on Thursday, December 3rd at 9 am PST (12 pm EST) as we discuss the Secrets to Building an Inclusive Workplace Culture. The key learnings in this interactive webinar include: