The Social Power of the Workplace

What a week.

Like many people worldwide, I spent much of this week feeling a sense of dread. I'm questioning what this election means for the environment and global conflict, freedom and safety for those who are most marginalized and vulnerable, and the future of healthcare...I could go on. I'm worried about what it means for a micro-business like mine that distinctively works to push back against systems that actively exploit and harm people. This work is already hard, and I'm worried it will get harder. I'm concerned about my own access to healthcare and support. I'm worried about my future.   

I've been thinking about what it would look like to say goodbye to Healthy Pour. I took some time off to submit my MSc dissertation (yay!) and am done with school (for now), so maybe I will go work for some company somewhere.

BUT.

But but but. Big but. 

I've also been thinking of how we can tighten and strengthen support systems within our communities, and I remembered that that's precisely what Healthy Pour does within organizations. 

I realized the best thing I can do is double down on my work here with Healthy Pour because healthy workplaces cultivate healthy people, families, and communities. 

And the reality is that there aren't a lot of healthy workplaces out there. I mean, it's unfortunately not the norm. Work dramatically influences our daily lives, and working in a caring, compassionate, and supportive environment can be life-changing. Work doesn't have to be this soul-sucking, draining system that chews us up and spits us out! It can also be meaningful and regenerative, something we feel good about and grow from. Something we know will positively impact our communities and the world. I think if this kind of work as contribution. It can be like that. 

 My point is that while there is much that we can’t immediately control, there are areas of our lives that we can. If you have leadership influence in the workplace (particularly if you have decision-making power), you can build a microcosm of the world you want to see. Want a more compassionate world? Bring that into the workplace. Want to live in an anti-colonial, anti-racist culture? Bring it to the workplace. Do you want leaders to be more empathetic? Bring it to the workplace. Want to see less division and more cooperation? Bring it to the workplace.

We often overlook the power of the workplace because it’s ingrained in us that work is a horrible chore that we should hate. We assume it must be awful because it’s work, and work is awful. But I know it's possible to build workplaces where people matter, are cared for, and thrive. I know our workplaces can strengthen our communities instead of tearing them down. It just takes some rethinking and reshaping. And we have the tools for that. It's not some pipe dream; it's very possible. That's literally what Healthy Pour does.

Ultimately, business will always be political, so Healthy Pour's work is political. Always. When it comes to workplace well-being, there are clear conditions that support people and others that harm them. Capitalism steeped in white supremacist ideology will always dehumanize and reduce people to replaceable parts of a machine. It will always exploit human beings, especially when they're vulnerable and marginalized. It will always take more than it should. These are the conditions that result in burnout, substance use, broken relationships and families, poor mental health, struggling communities… The more we can dismantle those systems, the better job we're doing.

The world we want to see starts with us. Then we can bring that to the workplace.

We can build better work.  

I hope you’ll join me.

-Laura Louise Green.            

Founder & Principal