What International Conflict Brings Up in the Workplace
Four weeks ago, despite urgent warnings, the world was shocked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since the conflict began, Ukrainian defense forces have delayed what the Kremlin believed to be a relatively uncomplicated proposition. Though resistance is high, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to press for international intervention and aid.
And while the outpouring of support and solidarity is encouraging at the seeming height of global division, there are still institutional differences making a difference for Ukrainian refugees and immigrants within Ukraine.
According to Vice, transgender Ukrainians face an impossible choice: stay and wait, or flee without documents to other countries openly hostile to LGBTQ+ people. Inside Ukraine, transgender women face stringent regulations to change their documentation to reflect their gender identity (until December 2016, surgery was a prerequisite for any change to one’s documentation and it was granted to only seven people).
This policy effectively traps transgender women (assigned male at birth and as such considered legally men in this context) inside the war-torn European country whose identification documents do not accurately reflect their gender identity because men between the ages of 18 and 60 are barred from fleeing. For other LGBTQ+ Ukrainians who are able to evacuate, neighboring countries are no more welcoming. According to an NPR report, the European Union has condemned both Poland and Hungary for their anti-gay laws.
And while war has a destabilizing effect on almost everyone involved, reports of African, Asian, and Middle Eastern students, immigrants, visitors as well as mixed-ethnicity Ukrainians, are being delayed, detained, and prevented from leaving the country have made international news.
What can we do from our workplaces in the face of such seemingly overwhelming world events? In his final show of “It’s Been a Minute,” NPR host Sam Sanders said, “I want someone just to tell me what to do … give me something to do, somebody.” In the parts of our work lives, these moments of world history can be an opportunity to examine what can be systemic barriers.
We don’t know what we don’t know. This may be an excellent time to ask your team who they are and how international events might be impacting them. Take a look at our tool, Why It Is Important to Ask Demographic Questions. After that process, we might find that folks with family in war zones outside of Europe may need different considerations to attend to family or friends in need, Taking an Equitable Approach to Paid Time Off is one of our best resources to help in these situations. And if these changes to your workplace are surfacing other factors at play in living into your mission, consider using Truth / Space / Action.