Daily Work is Committed to Building Equity in St. Paul and Beyond

Social Justice at Daily Work

Daily Work's commitment to social justice began when pastors from churches in St. Paul's Midway-area noticed that immigrants members were not securing jobs at the same rates as other members.

Throughout the past 20 years, Daily Work has provided tactical support aimed at mitigating the policies, practices and procedures in the job application process and the workplace that limit access and opportunity for job seekers. Resumes and online applications are required to apply for nearly every job today, even those that do not require computer skills or formal written communication. Online employment forms and pre-employment questionnaires often ask for needlessly complicated information or do not test skills essential to the job.

While these systemic barriers may seem like a sign of our digital times, Daily Work sees first-hand their disproportionate impact on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). In addition to systemic barriers, we hear from job seekers about attitudinal barriers such as bias, racism, and discrimination. These experiences have created a deeper and intentional commitment to social justice and advancing racial equity in every aspect of our organization and its work.

Our Commitment to Equity

Racism and oppression are built into our society’s language, systems, and practices. We actively seek to dismantle racism, challenge discriminatory actions, reject oppressive practices, and reduce disparities in our community. We cultivate self-awareness and practice self-reflection in order to co-create an environment of radical acceptance.

~ Revised and adopted April 22, 2024 by Daily Work Board of Directors

Equity & Inclusion Priorities: We're Starting with Ourselves

To fulfill this responsibility, Daily Work formed a committee dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The committee focuses on identifying opportunities for making Daily Work systems and operations more inclusive, from how our board of directors operates to how we interact with job seekers. A key priority of these efforts it to bring diverse voices into all decision-making processes. To learn more about how we plan to do that, read about our DEI Survey Summary and Priority Actions.

Daily Work is also investing in opportunities to train our board, staff, volunteers, and interns about how to be anti-racist and how to make our organization more inclusive. Over time, it is our hope to bring our learning and experiences to the broader community, in the form of events, training, and discussions.

Our aim is to foster a culture where every Daily Work stakeholder feels valued, supported, and inspired to achieve our mission and build a community where everyone can work, grow, and contribute. We invite you to join us on this journey.

Learn More about How to be Anti-Racist and Foster Inclusiveness

Daily Work is intentional about being a teaching and learning organization. Curriculum for case managers, who are all interns or volunteers, is aimed at building community and cross-cultural understanding. It includes training about implicit bias, the bias of professionalism standards, and participating in the Overcoming Racism conference. Outside of Daily Work, this training supports interns and volunteers in creating more inclusive communities for all.

Below is a list of a few our favorite resources for being more anti-racist and for enhancing diversity, equity, inclusion at Daily Work and beyond.

Links to Books/Readings