LPA Commits to JUST Label

LPA has joined a growing group of companies around the country pledging to disclose their workplace practices through the International Living Future Institute’s JUST Program, an initiative to promote social equity and enhance engagement in the workplace.

As part of the program, LPA will display a JUST label online with an analysis of the company’s performance in six key categories, providing a window to the company’s results in creating a more equitable and diverse workplace. JUST is similar to a nutrition label, detailing the company’s operations, how it treats employees and where it makes financial and community investments.

“The JUST label is a great way to show clients and employees who we are and what we believe in through our actions,” says LPA CEO and Chief Talent Officer Wendy Rogers. “At the same time, the platform allows us to better understand ourselves through the lens of social justice and social equity.”

The JUST label is not a certification program. It is a voluntary way for companies to promote their values and evaluate their own performance. At the same time, JUST participation encourages more companies to share their practices and take actions to improve equity in the workplace.

The key is transparency, Rogers says. The JUST label allows prospective employees and clients to “understand how we are holding up our values,” she says. “I also love that the JUST label shows where there is room for improvement.”

The JUST label requires an extensive evaluation process focused on six categories: diversity and inclusion, equity, employee health, employee benefits, stewardship and purchasing and supply chain. LPA spent months assessing its own culture, employee benefits, human resource practices and operations. The results established a baseline from where the company can grow and evolve.

“By evaluating our firm through the program, we’ve identified areas where we can improve and become an even stronger organization,” Rogers says. “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.”

LPA staff is 41 percent racially and ethnically diverse—well above the national levels for architecture firms. LPA takes an active role in promoting equity in the workplace. The firm’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) advisory committee meets quarterly, creating an open dialogue with employees to identify blind spots and areas that need improvement. Each of LPA’s six studios in California and Texas provides its employees with a variety of services to promote health and wellness, including a free bi-weekly fitness program, biometric health screenings and mental/behavioral health resources.

“Our JUST Label reflects the actions we have taken to support our employees and provide them with an environment that helps them thrive,” Rogers says.