Tompkins County group reports 62 attended allyship training; committee discusses workplace climate survey, equity indicators
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Summary
The Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Committee heard a report that 62 county employees attended two effective-allyship sessions, discussed renaming and clarifying the county’s workplace climate survey, and reviewed plans for departmental equity indicators and related training scheduling.
Veronica Pillar, chair of the Tompkins County Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Committee, said the county held two sessions of an “effective allyship” training and that staff across departments attended.
Charlene Holmes, Tompkins County’s chief equity and diversity officer, told the committee that 62 people attended between the two sessions and that the county had aimed for 80. “This is the first run. We will do effective allyship later on this year in the fall,” Holmes said, adding the county will schedule additional sessions to reach employees who work nonstandard hours.
Why this matters: committee members said the training and the workforce climate survey are connected. Members voiced concerns that the phrase “climate survey” may be confusing for some employees and could discourage responses; the committee discussed whether clearer naming or more contextual language in outreach would raise participation and better surface staff experiences.
Holmes explained the difference the committee was considering: “It is a correlation to the culture within an organization and the climate of that culture. It clearly indicates that we're looking for data both qualitative and quantitative based on how people are perceiving the workplace and how they are perceiving policies and procedures within that workplace.”
Facilitators and participants described the training format as interactive. Rachel Graham, a facilitator and committee member, said the sessions included role-playing and small-group scenario work and that attendees “really put in a good effort.” Shauna Black, another participant, said the exercises helped her understand the perspectives and intent of coworkers in ways that made follow-up conversations more productive. “It was helpful for me to understand their perspective and also kind of just open up and be vulnerable,” she said.
Committee members also discussed how training and survey work tie into the county’s institutionalizing equity effort. Holmes said she is aggregating departmental reporting schedules and will ask department heads whether they will present chosen equity indicators in committee meetings or provide one-page summaries. “That will also be a part of the institutionalizing equity report,” Holmes said, and she confirmed the county intends to produce an annual equity report in 2025.
Other updates reported during the meeting included a parental-leave committee survey for employees (the survey closes July 6) and advance notice that the Government Alliance on Race and Equity (GARE) local meeting will be held Oct. 20–22 with a limited, curated attendance list and a virtual orientation two weeks before the event.
Committee members asked staff to clarify outreach language for the workforce climate survey, expand training options to reach employees on nonstandard shifts, and circulate results of the allyship training’s participant survey when available. Holmes said a fall full-day session for staff and additional sessions timed for blue-collar and contract employees are planned.
The committee did not take a formal vote on any policy changes at Wednesday’s meeting; members agreed to continue refining outreach and reporting timelines and to circulate draft materials by email for review.
