Ro Khanna wins Democracy Award for best Workplace Environment
Indian American Congressman Ro Khanna has been honored with a Democracy Award by the Congressional Management Foundation (CMF) for outstanding achievement for the category of “Life in Congress”-Workplace Environment.
The “Life in Congress” Workplace Environment category highlights offices that have established both formal policies and informal cultures that enhance the work-life fit and professional development of their staffs, according to a press release from his office.
This is the second Democracy Award for Khanna who represents the 17th District of California, which covers communities in Silicon Valley. His office won the 2019 Democracy Award in the “Constituent Service” category.
“It’s an honor to receive this award for best workplace environment in Congress. I want to congratulate my incredible staff for working alongside me to create a positive and inclusive work environment,” said Khanna.
“As a strong supporter of workers’ rights, it’s important to me to live my values and ensure that all employees in my office have fair wages and benefits and are treated with dignity and respect.”
“I’m very proud of our team’s work over the years to make our office a top workplace on Capitol Hill. Each office is like a mini startup,”said Geo Saba, chief of staff in Rep. Khanna’s office. “There’s no centralized HR. This have given us the ability to be creative and reinvent what it means to work on the Hill.”
“This award is the result of the work and efforts of everyone single member on the team who contributed to reimagining our office policies and creating a healthy work environment,” Saba added.
“I’ve never worked in a more fun, kind, and people-centered workplace. We celebrate each other’s wins and help one another work through challenges. I’m grateful to work, learn and laugh alongside such wonderful colleagues,” said Sam Elghanayan, legislative aide in Khanna’s office.
Among other noteworthy items, CMF included the following reasons for selecting Khanna for an award:
“The office of Rep. Khanna appears to be an open and collaborative workplace, with Rep. Khanna cultivating an individual relationship with every staff member, encouraging staff to offer their recommendations and to ask him questions directly. Staff are continually invited to offer their ideas for everything from the Member’s policy positions to how to best connect our district’s needs to the DC office’s work.”
