Today, Normac invites you to wear pink and address bullying in an intentional and meaningful way. Leading up to Pink Shirt Day, our staff have been working on a campaign to open the conversation on bullying and help raise funds for programs that counter bullying behaviour. Here’s what a few of our team members have to say:
What is Pink Shirt Day?
Pink Shirt Day is an international movement with Canadian roots. It all started with a small act of kindness.
Travis Price and Davis Sheppard were high school students in a small town in Nova Scotia when they noticed a Grade 9 student being bullied for wearing a pink shirt. Moved by the incident, the pair decided to take a stand by encouraging other students at their school to wear pink in solidarity with the boy who had been bullied.
The response they got was remarkable. Out of 1,000 students attending their school, 850 got on board and wore pink. The movement quickly gained media attention and spread to neighbouring schools and well beyond. Fast forward to years later, pink-themed events are celebrated worldwide as part of anti-bullying initiatives.
Why Should You Care?
While the majority of preventative measures target bullying in schools, bullying continues well into adulthood. According to a 2020 study 57% of English-speaking older adults in Ontario have been bullied in the last 4 months. Another study identified that 40% of Canadian workers experience bullying on a weekly basis. Add in normal-than-average screen times to the mix due to COVID-19 and you the perfect ecosystem for increased cyberbullying.
Bullying is a widespread issue that we can all take some responsibility for. Thankfully, it is also something we can all take part in ending. As we continue to feel the repercussions of isolation from the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to rely on each other more than ever.
At Normac, workplace wellbeing has long been at the top of our list. While we strive to be the best at what we do through service excellence and quality of performance, we aim to treat our staff just as highly. In a time of remote work, we continue to encourage meaningful interaction and team-building activities within our internal team through various virtual social events. Some of our past events include: a murder mystery escape room, office olympics, and an online Christmas scavenger hunt – including a charcuterie care package sent to all team members across Canada! We also promote self-care among our team through a health & fitness challenge and recently implemented an employee reward and recognition program. This is because we firmly believe that creating a positive, supportive, and healthy work culture can lead to growth opportunities both for our people and our business.
Getting Involved on Pink Shirt Day
Join us in taking a stand against bullying. Here are some ways to get you started:
- Donate to the Normac Giving Group. Normac is committed to creating an inclusive workplace, and we believe that these skills begin in childhood. 100% of the proceeds go towards charities that cultivate self-esteem and healthy relationships among youth.
- Wear pink and share online with the hashtag #PinkShirtDay and #LiftEachOtherUp to help raise awareness.
- Buy an official Pink Shirt Day t-shirt at over 80 London Drug stores across Canada. Money made from the sale of Pink Shirt Day t-shirts goes directly to the cause.
- Above all else, remember to be kind to somebody today. Kindness is always a good place to start, and you just never know what somebody is going through at any given moment.
As we are reminded by the people wearing pink today, a little bit of empathy can go a long way.
