We recently posted a statement on our social media channels titled “G5 Believes.” In this message, we stated that we believe it’s time to influence positive change, that everyone deserves the right to feel safe, and to be treated equally. We all have a responsibility to eliminate mistreatment and racial injustice and replace it with respect, unity, compassion, and love. 

But, posting to social media isn’t enough and we know that. Actions speak louder than words. As a company, we must follow our words with action. We are responsible for using our resources and privilege for change. We are responsible for acting now and changing the world. While no person can do everything, every person can do something.

In 2009, we enacted a set of company values, called G5’s “Five to Thrive.” This set of principles guides the actions of our employees every day. We must do more to apply these values to our commitment to Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DEI). This is about race, but it’s also about gender, religion, disability, sexual orientation, age, nationality, and so much more. There is a lot of work to be done to impact change and we are committed to doing the work. Here’s how G5 is putting words into action, now and in the future. 

Our Values + Actions

Own It. We take responsibility and accountability for our actions and outcomes. As part of G5’s onboarding process, all employees are required to read and agree to our Code of Conduct. The Code is built around the recognition that everything we do will be, and should be, measured against the highest possible standards of ethical business conduct. In light of recent events, we’ve asked all employees to re-read the Code and recommit to putting G5’s values into practice. Respect for each other is foundational to our success, and it’s something we need to support everyday. 

Recently, 100% of our employees completed a LinkedIn Learning course on Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DIB). This curriculum was designed to 1) help employees recognize and discourage discrimination in the workplace, 2) encourage employees to treat each other with respect, and 3) teach employees what to do if there is an issue. We found this curriculum to be extremely relevant and we will require employees to complete additional LinkedIn Learning courses in the near future. All managers are also required to complete coursework that focuses on building trust, supporting teams, and developing the skills to conduct meaningful conversations on sensitive topics, such as race, religion, and gender.

In addition, G5 offers an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which provides free services and resources from a network of professionals for employees who need support.

Do the Right Thing. We communicate, collaborate, and question in a respectful way. G5 has always been a place where employees are encouraged to share feedback with Human Resources and our Executive Team. As a result of this feedback, we have formed a Diversity Committee as an important step towards our greater DEI plan. This committee will help guide G5’s future DEI efforts. They will ensure that we take a thoughtful, authentic approach in everything we do to support systemic change. 

We’ve also created a new Diversity Slack channel where employees can share resources, news articles, feedback, updates on events, ways to show support, and more. This will be a forum where all employees can go to listen, learn, and share ideas.

Pay It Forward. We generously share our knowledge and skills with others. G5 is committed to paying it forward in a number of ways. We currently have five committees, each with a different focus, designed to support safety, giving, being green, and having fun. Our newly-formed Diversity Committee will: 

  • Work closely with our Giving Committee to support related non-profits and social justice organizations.
  • Research and offer resources to our employees, so they can get involved in their communities.
  • Invite guest speakers to our monthly all-company meetings to talk about issues of inequality and injustice. 
  • Continue to equip our managers with the tools they need to have difficult, and sometimes uncomfortable, conversations around DEI.

Make It Awesome. We show up with a positive state of mind. This value is about so much more than making it awesome. It’s about bringing a positive attitude to everything we do. It’s about being energy givers. 

Showing up to support Black Lives Matter or any group facing inequality and injustice is just one way we can help influence positive change. In honor of Juneteenth Freedom Day today, we’ve shared event information and encouraged employees to participate in related events. There are a number of local events taking place in Bend, Oregon, including the Juneteenth Peaceful Protest/Kickback and “Take Back the Butte,” as well as other events in cities where our employees live and work remotely. G5ers are encouraged to use their Summer Fridays, today and for the rest of the summer, to show up and be energy givers. And, our teams will have the opportunity to be involved in other Social Justice initiatives and events beyond Juneteenth.

Change the Game. We work to improve and adopt new ways of doing things. G5 aspires to be a different kind of company. We’re continually striving for improvement and we know we can do better to help dismantle social injustice. Our Code and “Five to Thrive” values guide us through challenges and we will continue to rely on one another’s good judgment to uphold a high standard of integrity for ourselves and our company. 

We know that we may stumble in this work, but we shouldn’t be afraid to make mistakes. It is far more important to speak up and act imperfectly, than to do nothing and reinforce systemic racism and inequality. We vow to listen, learn, support, and show up in our commitment to diversity, equality, and inclusion. There is so much more we can do as a company. We can and we will.