The importance of DE&I in the workplace cannot be overstated. It increases employee engagement, productivity, and retention rates. Additionally, it fosters community among employees, which can lead to better collaboration and innovation.
To help you plan workplace DE&I initiatives for 2024, see the list of holidays and national events below. Celebrating diverse holidays at work is important for creating a fair, inclusive workplace where every team member feels a sense of belonging. Honoring these holidays celebrates the different backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives your team members bring to the table.
This DEI holiday calendar includes a variety of professional, cultural, and religious celebrations. The list is not exhaustive, and there are many other amazing global holidays and events that you can chose to honor. However, this provides a great starting point for HR leaders who want to incorporate more diverse and inclusive programming and practices into their organization.
January 2024
- National Mentoring Month
- Poverty in America Awareness Month
January dates:
- January 1 – New Year’s Day
- January 4 – World Braille Day
- January 15 – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- January 27 – International Holocaust Remembrance
February 2024
- American Heart Month
- Black History Month
Be sure to check out 5 Ways to Celebrate Black History at Work for some ideas and inspiration to get you started!
February dates:
- February 4 — Rosa Parks Day
- February 10 — Chinese New Year (Year of the Dragon)
- February 11 – International Day of Women & Girls in Science
- February 12 – International Epilepsy Day
- February 13 – Mardi Gras
- February 14 – Ash Wednesday
- February 14 – Valentine’s Day
- February 20 – World Day of Social Justice
March 2024
- Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
- Ethnic Equality Month
- Gender Equality Month
- Greek American Heritage Month
- Irish American Heritage Month
- National Colon Cancer Awareness Month
- National Kidney Month
- National Multiple Sclerosis Awareness and Education Month
- National Women’s History Month
March dates:
- March 1 – Employee Appreciation Day
- March 8 – International Women’s Day
- March 8 – Maha Shivarati
- March 10 – Ramadan begins
- March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day
- March 21 – World Down Syndrome Day
- March 23 – Purim
- March 25 – International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade
- March 24 – Holi
- March 24 – Palm Sunday
- March 29– Good Friday
- March 31 – Easter
April 2024
- Arab-American Heritage Month
- Autism Awareness Month
- Celebrate Diversity Month
- National Child Abuse Prevention Month
- National Volunteer Month
April dates:
- April 2 – World Autism Awareness Day
- April 22 – Passover begins
- April 22 – Earth Day
- April 30 – Passover ends
May 2024
- ALS Awareness Month
- Haitian Heritage Month
- Indian Heritage Month
- Jewish-American Heritage Month
- Mental Health Awareness Month
- National Asian American and South Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May dates:
- May 5 – Cinco de Mayo
- May 5 – Yom Hashoah
- May 27 – Memorial Day
June 2024
- Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month
- National Caribbean American Heritage Month
- Pride Month
June dates:
- June 5 – World Environment Day
- June 19 – Juneteenth
- June 20 – World Refugee Day
- June 28 –Pride Day
July 2024
- French American Heritage Month
July dates:
- July 1 – Canada Day
- July 4 – Independence Day
- July 26 – National Disability Independence Day
- July 30 – International Day of Friendship
August 2024
- National Civility Month
August dates:
- August 19 – World Humanitarian Day
- August 21 – Senior Citizens Day
- August 26 – Women’s Equality Day
- August 26 – Krishna Janmashtami
September 2024
- Hispanic Heritage Month
- Suicide Prevention Month
Hispanic and Latino Americans are the largest ethnic minority in the U.S., making up 19.1% of the population. By 2050, it’s projected that nearly one in three Americans will be Hispanic. If you’re an HR leader or frontline manager, make sure you know how to empower Hispanic workers.
September dates:
- September 2 – Labor Day
- September 5 – International Day of Charity
- September 16 – Mexican Independence Day
- September 21 – World Gratitude Day
October 2024
- Breast Cancer Awareness Month
- Bullying Prevention Month
- Domestic Violence Awareness Month
- Filipino American Heritage Month
- German American Heritage Month
- Italian American Heritage Month
- Polish American Heritage Month
- Family History Month
October dates:
- October 2 – International Day of Nonviolence
- October 2 – Rosh Hashanah begins
- October 3 – Navrati begins
- October 10 – World Mental Health Day
- October 11 – National Coming Out Day
- October 11 – Yom Kippur
- October 14 – National Indigenous Peoples’ Day
- October 14 – Thanksgiving Day (Canada)
- October 16 – Sukkot
- October 21 – Waste Reduction Week
- October 22 – International Stuttering Awareness Day
- October 31 – Diwali
November 2024
- Diabetes Awareness Month
- National Native American, American Heritage Month
November dates:
- November 1-2 – Dia de Muertos
- November 1 – National Stress Awareness Day
- November 9 – World Adoption Day
- November 11 – Remembrance/Veterans Day
- November 13 – World Kindness Day
- November 16 – International Day for Tolerance
- November 20 – Transgender Day of Remembrance
- November 20 – Universal Children’s Day
- November 28 – Thanksgiving
December 2024
- HIV/AIDS Awareness Month
- Universal Human Rights Month
December dates:
- December 1 – World AIDS Day
- December 3 – International Day for People with Disabilities
- December 5 – International Volunteer Day
- December 9 – International Genocide Prevention Day
- December 10 – International Human Rights Day
- December 25 – Christmas
- December 25 – Hanukkah begins at sunset
- December 26 – Kwanzaa week
- December 26 – Boxing Day
- December 31 – New Year’s Eve
- January 2, 2025 – Hanukkah ends at sunset
How to be a better ally for marginalized communities.
Being a better coworker and ally to marginalized communities requires ongoing effort and a commitment to learning and growth. Here are some steps you can take:
- Educate Yourself: Take the initiative to educate yourself about the experiences, challenges, and history of marginalized communities. Read books, articles, and watch documentaries or films that provide insights into their perspectives.
- Listen and Learn: Listen to the experiences of marginalized colleagues and learn from them. Be open to learning from their perspectives and avoid making assumptions or invalidating their experiences. You can also attend workshops, webinars, and other events that focus on DEI topics.
- Check Your Biases: Reflect on your own biases and prejudices. Recognize that everyone has biases, and it’s important to challenge and unlearn them. Engage in self-reflection and consider how your biases may impact your interactions with others.
- Speak Up: Speak up when you see or hear something that is not inclusive or respectful. This can be as simple as calling out a microaggression or as complex as advocating for policy change. If you witness discriminatory behavior, speak up and intervene when it’s safe to do so. Support and stand up for your colleagues and report any incidents to the appropriate channels.
- Amplify Marginalized Voices: Use your privilege and platform to amplify their voices. Give credit where it’s due and actively promote their ideas and contributions.
- Foster an Inclusive Environment: Advocate for inclusive policies and practices within your workplace. Encourage diversity in hiring and promotion processes, and support initiatives that promote equality and inclusion. Be mindful of the language you use and avoid making assumptions about people based on their gender, race, ethnicity, or other characteristics. Use inclusive language that respects and acknowledges diversity.
- Be Open to Feedback: Be open to receiving feedback from marginalized colleagues and be willing to make changes based on that feedback. Constructive criticism can help you grow and improve as an ally.
- Continuously Learn and Evolve: Recognize that allyship is an ongoing process. Stay informed about current issues and continue to educate yourself. Be open to feedback, learn from your mistakes, and adapt your behavior accordingly.
Remember, being a better coworker and ally is a journey that requires continuous effort and self-reflection. As a leader, it’s important to incorporate DEI education into your company’s engagement calendar and acknowledge holidays, observances, and celebrations. It’s important to get it right and stay updated—Paycor’s here to help. Check out this tour of product solutions that offer diversity benchmarking tools, a diversity recruiting platform and DE&I measurement tools.
