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With US Election Day just a week away, November is all but guaranteed to be an intense month no matter the election outcome. It seems every race is high stakes, and nothing is a sure bet. Everything from the Presidential election down to local measures will be close, and issues like COVID-19, social justice, foreign interference, disinformation campaigns, and cyber threats – all of which would seem daunting enough on their own – make voting especially fraught this year.
We know that as an employer we can’t singlehandedly remove any of those challenges to the voting process for our employees, but we can give them the time and space to tackle them head-on. That’s why we’re giving our US employees November 3rd off, and hoping they use some of their time that day to exercise their right to vote. We believe that no matter what you believe or who you support, voting is important. Even in solidly red or blue states, we have the chance to weigh in on big questions – this election isn’t just about electing a president; the down-ballot candidates and propositions impact what happens in our counties and states, and voting is a valuable opportunity to help shape the national conversation and the future of our communities.
The act of participating in democracy in many cases encompasses emotional and mental energy, so we also hope our employees take some time on November 3rd to focus on health and wellness. Whether that means their own mental and physical health, the health of their communities, or the wellness of the multitudes of people all over the world who are suffering right now, we value and appreciate their efforts to stay engaged. We know it’s harder than ever.
Resilience is part of SentinelOne DNA and we sometimes forget to slow down and check-in with ourselves, so we also gave our employees outside the US a mental health day. Our workforce is diverse; each employee has their own home life and own set of challenges they’re facing this year. Some of us are at home alone, while some of us are in a house full of screaming kids using up internet bandwidth on everything except distance learning; some of us are preoccupied with concern for our high risk loved ones, while some of us are navigating the loss of loved ones who we can’t properly mourn. Add to the mix a high performance, fast paced work environment, and it’s nothing short of a miracle that our employees are still working together, leading with kindness and respect, and as committed as ever to protecting our customers and each other.
As an employer, it is our responsibility to encourage our people to set boundaries and create space for themselves whenever and wherever they can. Our quarterly mental health days are just one small gesture, but we’re committed to expanding the ways in which we support our people in their pursuit of balance, happiness, and good health. Self-care isn’t just something to squeeze in before or after work; it’s something that needs to be incorporated into the workday – our meetings, our interactions with each other, and our physical work space. Stress can be cumulative, but so can the effects of small, positive changes. “Build back better” has become a common refrain during the pandemic, but it doesn’t just apply to businesses and communities. Together we can learn from each other to build a better workplace.
To our employees, please enjoy November 3rd – Election Day – as a SentinelOne holiday. Get out and vote! Go do something to make the world a better place!
