Nora Burns is passionate about workplace culture. She wants HR professionals to know inclusion includes the food and beverage offered and served in the workplace.
A Guest Post by Madison Savlov Graduation. I cannot believe I am officially finishing roughly 20 years of my much-appreciated education. Now I must enter the workforce and what society calls “the real world.” after college Besides being apprehensive about finding a job and leaving my home of 4 years to live on my own, as an adult with food allergies, I must now completely take control of managing them without the support that has been provided to me growing up. Now I start the process of locating “safe” restaurants — as well as a job and employer — that…
October is Disability Employment Awareness Month – a time where we recognize the contributions of people with disabilities in our workforce. It’s also the opportune time to educate ourselves on how to be more accommodating for our colleagues and coworkers who may have a disability. It’s been 10 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was amended in 2008, but educating employers and employees alike about the changes has proven to be a long and difficult process. Whether a CEO, an HR professional, an event professional or a manager, you should know that individuals with food allergies, celiac disease…
As my clients, colleagues and followers know, my main focus as a meeting and event planner is ensuring the food is safe, healthy, delicious and inclusive. But for employees of a company, the food and beverage they are fed at conferences, special events and retreats is just a fraction of what they will consume while on the job. And it is the role of human resources professionals to ensure that all employees can eat safely. That’s why I’m devoting a series of blog posts to educating HR departments about what they can—and must—do when feeding employees. I say “must” because…
Not Being able to Eat Wheat or Shellfish is No Reason to be Bullied Last week I was at an event where I witnessed two men being bullied/teased/harassed—whatever you want to call it—about their dietary need. I was stunned, embarrassed and utterly dumbfounded. The event was an awards dinner for a corporation and one at which I was hired to manage the food and beverage and oversee the safe execution of special meals for 18 people with dietary needs (a low number considering other events I’ve done, but still seven percent of the group). The two men who were being…