| WHY DO WE DO WHAT WE DO...?
It's a question that can feel scary to ask, at first.
What if there isn't an answer?
Or what if the answer doesn't make sense?
But then we remember that returning to this question, time and again, is part of the cycle of values. We cycle around our values, and we move with them in a circular motion. Values, in fact, can be seasonal - we do not mean that in the sense that you can take them or leave them, according to whim or fashion. No, the true seasonality of values acknowledges that we cannot always sustain the exact same level or style of energy 365 days a year. Going back to this question again and again leaves space for the reality that our values will evolve over time as we learn and experience more.
Our recent policy updates - notably that the phrases 'reliable transportation', 'valid driver's license', and 'clean driving record' do not belong in a job post as stand-alone requirements (if you missed our dive into each one of those phrases, be sure to review them via the linked newsletters because we provide plenty of context and suggestions to replace each one, or work alongside them in a more equitable way) - came from a few years of listening, learning, practicing, and more listening and learning.
It was only after we had gotten some practice enacting major policy shifts around wages and unpaid labor, and spent countless hours in conversation with job posters on the language of their job descriptions, and enlisted the help of a talented illustrator to graphically communicate what we had been circling around when it came to Writing a More Equitable Job Post...it was only then that we knew for sure that what we needed to do was provide even more clarity and accountability around the job posts that we publish on GFJ.
And still we wake up in the morning, thinking about this newsletter, and all the various readers and workers out there we hold ourselves accountable to, and in community with, and we have to ask ourselves again: do we know why we are doing what we're doing?
Having this regular check-in with ourselves - and with you all - is not a sign of failure. It's part of the strength of what we do, and it's part of why we do it. Each season of living your values has its pros and cons, but the way that they turn and return is key to keeping them fresh, centered, and revitalized.
So to wrap up this particular part of our winter season, we want to share a reminder that a Good Food Job, as we define it, does not include any of the following stand-alone requirements:
- 'reliable transportation',
- 'valid drivers's license', or
- 'clean driving record'.
You may notice some inconsistency as we take the time to adopt these new policies, and we hope you'll reach out with any questions.
We also want to say a big thank you to all those who shared their responses to the conversation over the last few weeks. We learned many things from you, including...
/// that the history of reliable transportation as a job requirement is related to federal laws banning employers from discrimination based on financial background. In order to avoid rejecting a candidate based on whether or not they could afford their own vehicle, employers took to asking / ensuring that their team member had access to 'reliable transportation'. This strikes us as a workaround that didn't exactly land in an equitable way.
/// one of the biggest takeaways from employers: most include this language without even knowing it's there - it gets carried along from template to template, leaving us with another great reminder of why it's good to stop every so often and ask: why do we do what we do?
/// in addition to public transportation or cycling to work as viable alternatives in some jobs, one employer shared that they incentivize carpooling, for those who feel comfortable doing so.
/// some readers brought up the discriminatory language that appears so often in job posts as a result of ableism. In just one example, service animal discrimination is common with many jobs, and we can imagine how complicated that could get around working in the food system...but we can't help but wonder how that same imagination could be used to design beautiful solutions. If you've seen any related to ableism and/or service animals, we'd love to hear about them.
Yours in food justice,
Tay + Dor
photo by Christine Han
|
