November 2021 - Employee Engagement Calendar
November 4, 2021by Molly Johnston in Tips & Tools
Important dates and employee engagement ideas for the month of November.
Indigenous Disability Awareness Month (Canada)
Indigenous Disability Awareness Month brings awareness to the barriers and issues that Indigenous peoples living with disabilities and their families face every day, while also celebrating their achievements and significant contributions to our communities.
- According to the British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Diabetes Society (BCANDS), the Indigenous population of Canada has a disability rate that's twice that of the general population.
- Disabled Indigenous people face unique obstacles in the health-care system due to ongoing injustice and societal stigma associated with disabilities.
- 26% of women living in poverty have a disability, and 36% of Indigenous women live in poverty. These issues are connected in complex ways, and how they play out in the healthcare system can have a serious impact on quality of care.
How to Engage
- Encourage your team to start their own learning journey - The Government of Canada has a great list of resources to help people explore the rich and diverse cultures, voices, experiences and histories of First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples. Some highlights include: Traditional Stories and Creation Stories #IndigenousReads Let us tell the story: The Crooked Story
Movember (International)
November 1st marked the official start of "Movember," the annual month-long fundraiser that encourages men to grow a moustache and raise funds for men's health issues including men's mental health, as well as prostate and testicular cancers.
Across the world, one man dies by suicide every minute of every day, with males accounting for 75% of all suicides.
How to Engage
- Provide tools and encourage discussion - The Movember website has a great list of resources and tools including: Movember Conversations - Practical guidance on how to support men who might be struggling. Family Man - The latest parenting strategies that support happier homes and better mental health with the goal to get more fathers actively involved in parenting programs.
- Support a Bro growing a Mo - Have someone at the workplace growing a mo for Movember? Make sure to show them support and encourage others to do so as well.
Remembrance Day - November 11th (Canada & USA)
A day to commemorate the lives of those lost during conflict. While most people won't be working, there are ways you can still engage your team throughout the week.
How to Engage
- Share resources and/or organize a virtual team trip to a museum Canadian War Museum Indigenous Peoples in Military (Canada) Google Arts & Culture: Second World War Indigenous Experiences of War (USA)
- Veteran Check-Ins - Many surviving veterans struggle with their physical and mental health. Taking the time to connect and say hello can mean a great deal. Encourage team members to reach out to a local veteran, whether it be someone they already know, or through a local veteran organization and volunteer to be matched with a former service member for a chat.
- Create a quiet and safe space for your staff to pay their respects - Remembrance Day can be a difficult time for those affected. If employees would like to remember relatives or share family stories, provide them with a safe space to either in the office or remotely within a dedicated channel.
World Kindness Day - November 13th
An international holiday to promote kindness, and presents us with an opportunity to reflect upon one of the most important and unifying human principles.
It pays to be kind - People who are constantly kind produce 23% less cortisol, which is the stress hormone.
How to Engage
- Encourage random acts of kindness - Give compliments. Smile at strangers. Buy a coworker a virtual coffee. Challenge your team to perform at least three random acts of kindness and see what magic follows!
- Virtual kindness cards - Start a gratitude activity, inviting all employees to send one-to-one ecards of appreciation to colleagues.
- Encourage kindness towards the self - Prompt your team to write a letter to themselves, highlighting the things they appreciate about themselves and their lives.
International Day of Tolerance - November 16th
The UN's International Day for Tolerance seeks to promote tolerance, respect, appreciation and cooperation to ensure that we remember to make space for each other's opinions.
How to Engage
- Provide resources to increase awareness Canadian Museum for Human Rights Harvard Implicit Association Test My Pronouns Race: The Power of Inclusion
International Men's Day - November 19th
International Men's Day focuses on men's health, improving gender relations, highlighting male role models and promoting positive and diverse expressions of masculinity.
How to Engage
- Refer to Movember resources as well as others including: Heads Up Guys Canadian Men's Health Foundation - Highlights include the YouCheck tool and their A-Z directory. Harvard Health Publishing Next Gen Men
Transgender Day of Remembrance - November 20th
A day to honour the memory of transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.
How to Engage
- Share educational resources Unerased: Counting Transgender Lives National Center for Transgender Equality Human Rights Campaign - Trans Resources Trans 101
16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence (GBV): November 25th - December 6th
An annual international campaign that calls for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.
How to Engage
- Wear purple on November 25th to raise awareness - take a photo, share it on social media and use the hashtag #16Days.
- Engage on the online message board - Anonymously share a survivor story and/or share messages of support, solidarity and light with survivors.
Thanksgiving (USA) - November 25th
Traditionally, this holiday celebrates the giving of thanks for the autumn harvest but it's also a great opportunity to connect your team through fostering gratitude.
How to Engage
- Share thanksgiving or holiday recipes and create a virtual team cook-book
- Start a Gratitude Wall - Simply designate a place online where all group members can post, such as a social media group, a Slack or Teams channel, or an online whiteboard application like Mural or Google Jam Board.
Digital Health Week: November 29th - December 5th
A global week of action to advocate for digital health and promoting digital health literacy in support of providing health care for all.
Digital health literacy is the ability to access, understand and use electronic health information and services to address a health problem.
How to Engage
- Share resources and encourage discussion A guide to finding good health information Fact Checking Tool 12 things to help you question health advice
