In the past year, Affinity Groups at Pagefreezer have expanded and held over 35 unique events to an audience of over 150! Affinity Groups are employee-led groups centered on a specific identity or experience, designed to build community, provide customized support, share resources, and give feedback to the organization through advocacy; you may know them as Employee Resource Groups (ERGs). By providing the opportunity to champion an identity or experience they personally resonate with in the workplace, employees are able to impact the employee experience and culture, grow their personal and professional development, and form meaningful connections through leading or participating in an Affinity group.

Pagefreezer currently has four Affinity groups, and we wanted to highlight some of our favourite events that have happened this year so far!

1. Newcomers to Canada is intended to support newcomers to Canada with relevant information to ease their transition into a new country and culture. Leveraging the experiences of other newcomer employees at Pagefreezer who have settled in, Newcomers to Canada continues to provide a home away from home for our team. Newcomers to Canada provides tips on topics such as:

• Personal recommendations for local services and amenities (healthcare, education, transportation, legal, etc)
• Cultural Integration
• Housing and Accommodation
• Financial Literacy

When arriving in a new country, it's hard to get settled because we don't know all the ways of how things work. Having a group of people who have been through the same thing who are willing to help is very important and comforting!

- Joao, Newcomers to Canada member

2. MEND (Mental Health, Emotional Health, Neurodiversity, Disability) exists to support the mental and emotional health and wellbeing of people at Pagefreezer. One of our key missions is facilitating open discussion around mental and emotional wellbeing, as well as supporting those who are neurodivergent or have disabilities. We encourage our teammates to share their knowledge and experiences on these topics while safeguarding confidentiality.

“Having an Affinity Group like MEND strengthens our team by facilitating viewing the world through other perspectives. Having the space to care for your mental health is important, especially in a remote work environment.”

- Cat, MEND member

MEND hosted Mental Health Week in May, and the theme for this year was Healing through Compassion. From May 6th to May 10th, MEND provided resources and held events on the following topics:

• A Week of Compassion Journaling Exercise
• Creating a Compassionate Workplace
• Mental Health Impacts of Compassion
• Mental Health Media List
• Virtual Meditation

3. Women+ of PF supports, promotes, and connects women, transwomen, non-binary, and others who may face gender-based discrimination or underrepresentation in the tech community.

“Being a remote-first workforce, our Women+ community has been crucial to my sense of belonging at PF. I love having this safe space to connect and lift each other up!”

- Mandy, Women+ Co-Lead

In Q2 of 2024, Women+ at Pagefreezer hosted a Wellness challenge where the group held each other accountable to achieving goals throughout the month that supported their mental and physical well-being. Members of Women+ challenged themselves to some of the following:

• Drink 2 liters of water every day
• Connect with a friend
• Medidate
• Meal prep
• Read 15 days a month
• Journal 12 days a month
• Get 15 minutes of fresh air 20 times a month

4. PRIDE at PF is our more newly launched Affinity Group that raises awareness about LGBTQIA2S+ issues. The group aims to create an informed and empathetic workplace where members can better understand challenges faced by those who identify as LGBTQIA2S+ while also celebrating the community.

Pride held their first event of the year by inviting Dan Smith of This Space Belongs To You to speak on 'What Prides Mean To Us'. Over 20 team members got together virtually for an hour of discussion on:

• Types of Discrimination against Queer People
• 2SLGBTQIA+ Identities
• Building Inclusive Spaces
• Allyship
• 2SLGBTQIA+ Language
• Removing Barriers

“As an ally, joining sessions like ‘What Pride Means to Us’ offers me an opportunity to hear firsthand how I can show support to the LGBTQ+ community and educate myself to become a more accepting, approachable person at work and in my personal life.”

- Zach, PRIDE member

We're so proud about all of the exciting initiatives that have been launched so far this year, and we can't wait to see how these communities will continue to be built at Pagefreezer!