Celebrated every July, Disability Pride Month reminds us that disabilities are a part of who we are and our diversity. It’s also a chance to learn more about the unique perspectives of the disability community and advocate for them.
At L&P, we’re always learning, especially from one another. Here are some valuable resources around disability etiquette, allyship, and accessibility with lessons we can apply throughout the year:
Each quarter, the Women’s ERG focuses on a theme as an opportunity for learning, collaboration, and raising awareness. This quarter, the group explored allyship. Allyship refers to the actions, behaviors, and practices that individuals take to support and advocate for others, particularly those who don’t share the same social identities.
During their monthly meetings, the group invited guests, including David Brown, President of L&P Hydraulics, John Dowdell, President – Hanes Geo Components, and Tammy Trent, Senior Vice President – Chief Accounting Officer, to speak on their personal experiences of allyship and what it means to be an ally. They encouraged members to invite an ally to the monthly meetings. In addition, the group surveyed its members and shared moving testimonials of when they needed or proved to be an ally to someone.
“Needing an ally, having an ally, and being an ally go full circle and include small, daily actions to make everyone feel included and welcome,” says Sarah Peterson, Program Manager. “Now more than ever, we need each other, and what better reason to celebrate allyship.”
Throughout their sessions, the group showcased that allyship is not just about bridging the gap between education and action. It’s a journey of personal growth, teaching us about emotional intelligence and the profound importance of human connection to be more effective in work and life.
“Allyship offers and promotes productivity, creates a sense of belonging, and ensures inclusivity in the workplace,” says Isabel Perez Infante, National Category Sales Manager. “Everybody has the opportunity to be an ally and have an ally.”
Breanna Wagster, Director of Human Resources, agrees, “Allyship opportunities exist all around us, some in the smallest of forms and others with greater magnitude, but it is up to us to intentionally seek, recognize, and act on these opportunities to be better allies for others and ourselves.”
Tips for Being an Ally
Roxanne Willard, Demand/Office Manager, shares some tips for being an ally at work and in our Leggett & Platt communities.
Thank you to Sarah, Isabel, Breanna, Roxanne, and the Women’s ERG leadership team for promoting allyship and doing their part to make Leggett & Platt a more inclusive, compassionate workplace.
If you are interested in joining the Women’s ERG, please reach out to a member to get started!
At L&P, we’re on a journey to make meaningful change in our company through inclusion, diversity, and equity (ID&E), and we’re excited for you to meet our ID&E Director – James Millsap (Millsap)!
What brought you to L&P?
I’ve been an ID&E practitioner for many years, and I was in the manufacturing space before my time with Leggett & Platt. However, a desire to grow my career brought me to L&P, and I have received a very warm welcome.
Tell us about your role as ID&E Director. What are you looking forward to, and why is ID&E important to you?
Overall, I look at ID&E as a pretty big contributing factor to employee engagement and the employee experience. I want to work with everyone at L&P to create a company where we can all thrive, and I’m looking forward to helping our company continue this journey and decide what’s the next right move for us.
I am relentlessly optimistic about aiming for a top-tier employee experience for all. I believe we can do this when we live out our values – when we work together to take ownership and raise the bar for what’s possible.
What’s something interesting about you?
I can quote Disney’s Aladdin almost word for word.
Belonging is more than a feeling – it’s a space we create between us. It’s knowing that we’re welcome at L&P and there’s a place for more than our skills. There’s room for who we are.
As many of our colleagues and communities around the world celebrate and lift up the LGBTQ+ community during Pride Month, we join them by reaffirming that you belong here. We commit to strengthening workplaces that create space for everyone, including members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Supporting The Trevor Project
Pride Month is also a time to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community. At L&P, we made a monetary contribution to The Trevor Project – the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ youth. Because they are often stigmatized in society, LGBTQ+ youth have an increased risk of dying by suicide when compared to their peers.
Learning More During Pride Month
If you’d like to learn more about LGBTQ+ history, experiences, and supporting LGBTQ+ colleagues, check out the following resources:
At L&P, safety – both physical and psychological – is a top priority.
We’re committed to creating safe workplaces, and we’re very proud of our teams around the world for putting people first. They prioritize safety, care for one another, and create an inclusive environment of mutual respect, empathy, and belonging.
This month on L&P social, we’re excited to share content and stories related to safety and belonging with you!
May 21 is World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development – a day to celebrate cultural diversity and highlight the importance of intercultural dialogue! 🌍
At L&P, we do great work together by encouraging connection and the open exchange of perspectives and ideas between teams around the world. It’s how we build understanding, unite above our differences, and stay innovative.
Judith Kuhn, HR Director – Specialized Products Europe & Global HR Lead – Hydraulics, shared a quick tip and resource for collaborating across cultures more effectively. She said we can start by being aware of cultural differences – how we communicate, manage time, make decisions, and lead differently – and pointed us to an introduction of Erin Meyer’s eight-scale Culture Map to learn more.
For more information on collaborating across cultures, check out Erin Meyer’s book called The Culture Map.
Our Automotive team in India celebrated International Women’s Day with a cake cutting, talent show, gifts, and by sharing words of appreciation:
Check out some of the photos from their celebration below!
Our Automotive team in India recently celebrated Pongal – a Hindu harvest festival that marks the beginning of the month called Thai and is celebrated by people with ties to Tamil Nadu, India.
Lasting for four days, Pongal involves new beginnings, giving thanks, and strengthening communal ties. Families clean their homes, remove unwanted items, and decorate the entrances of their homes with kolam – beautiful floor patterns created from rice flour. They also gather together for festive meals, which includes boiling pots of pongal – a traditional mix of rice and milk. During the festival, the community honors Surya, the Sun God, and cattle for helping bring a bountiful harvest.
To celebrate, our colleagues in India gathered for a small pooja (worship ceremony), played games, and created kolam. A couple of our colleagues shared their thoughts on the celebration:
Pugazhendi, Manufacturing Department, said, “I liked participating in our event and was thrilled to win the pot break challenge. Every year during Pongal, L&P gives us time to spend with family, and I’m grateful for that. I’m looking forward to more special events in the future.”
E. Sharath Kumar, Manufacturing Department, shared, “Pongal is a fun-packed event that keeps us engaged and united. I had a lot of fun participating in the activities and got second place during one of the games.”
Check out some of the photos from the event below!
As a global company, we come from many backgrounds, cultures, and experiences, and what unites us is how we work together to support one another and help L&P grow.
Our four company values — Put People First, Do the Right Thing, Do Great Work Together, and Take Ownership and Raise the Bar — are a set of shared principles that guide our decisions, actions, and relationships. At L&P, we:
Throughout January, we’ll share some stories from our global teams on how they exemplify our values. You’ll also see some of our newest team members share what our values mean to them.
Has your L&P team exemplified our values at work? We’d love to hear from you! Email us at social@leggett.com.
This time of year means many things to each of us, and to celebrate the cultures and traditions that make up L&P, we invited our employees from around the world to share season’s greetings—what we are looking forward to this season, hopes for colleagues, and a variety of traditions.
