Pink Shirt Day

February 24 is Pink Shirt Day. This day focuses on anti-bullying, working together, and treating others with dignity and respect. This initiative started in 2007, when a Grade 9 boy in small-town Nova Scotia was bullied for wearing a pink shirt on the first day of school. Two of his schoolmates took a stand – they bought and distributed 50 pink shirts for others to wear. Pink Shirt Day, or Anti-Bulling Day, is now recognized by over 25 countries worldwide and over 7 million people participate! 

Bullying is a major problem in our schools, workplaces, homes, and online. In Canada, 1 in 3 adolescent students have reported being bullied. Studies have found bullying occurs once every seven minutes on the playground and every 25 minutes in the classroom. In the majority of cases, bullying stops within 10 seconds when peers intervene – this is why Pink Shirt Day is so important to talk about with our youth.  

Bullying doesn’t just occur in childhood. What does workplace bullying look like? If you are feeling oppressed, humiliated, de-energized or belittled, you may be getting bullied. Actions that can lead to these feelings can include personal insults, teasing jokes, threats, public shaming, rude interruptions, invasion of personal space, or uninvited personal contact. At NorLand, we have strict policies regarding this behavior in the workplace. Our Employee Handbook describes bullying as: 

“Bullying and Harassment is any action that a person knows or ought reasonably to know would be unwelcome and/or would cause another person to be humiliated or intimidated. It includes, but is not limited to, objectionable conduct, verbal or physical action, which creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, aggressive or unreasonable behavior or comments intended to hurt or isolate an Employee, and any type of emotional, psychological, and physical abuse, humiliation or degradation. It may be a single event or occur over a period-of-time.” 

Kids learn from what they experience and observe. Let’s give them the best example we can of how to treat each other with kindness, celebrate our differences, and stand up for those who need help.  

Visit CKNW Kids’ Fund “Pink Shirt Day” (a Diamond Partner of ours) to find out more or donate to the cause. If you need help to assist in a situation involving bullying, here are some resources below: 

Bullying occurs at all ages and is unacceptable in all forms. We much protect each other and remember that Teammates Get Treated Like Family!