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WORKPLACE HARMONY

Practical Strategies for Building an LGBTQIA+ Inclusive Workplace

Acknowledge the Complexity of Identities

In a business context, it’s essential to recognise that LGBTQIA+ employees may also belong to other marginalised groups, such as racial minorities or people with disabilities. For example, a company could host workshops that explore intersectionality, helping managers understand how different aspects of identity overlap and affect the workplace experience. Encourage leadership to spend time with their teams to better understand the unique challenges each member might face.

Celebrate Authenticity in the Workplace

Encourage a culture where employees can be their authentic selves. For instance, you might highlight employees’ diverse backgrounds and experiences in internal newsletters or during company events. Many companies (e.g Epam, IBM etc)  have created internal platforms where employees can share their stories, which helps normalize diversity and foster a sense of belonging.

Respect Privacy and Autonomy

Understand that being ‘out’ at work is a personal decision. Design your policies and programs to include everyone, regardless of their level of disclosure. For instance, Google’s employee resource groups (ERGs) are open to all, allowing both LGBTQ+ employees and allies to participate without forcing anyone to reveal their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Build and Support an Inclusive Community

Develop an LGBTQIA+ network that includes both community members and allies. This network should have clear goals, such as supporting diversity initiatives or providing mentorship opportunities. For example, Accenture’s LGBTQ+ network offers career development programs and has senior leadership actively involved, ensuring it’s a visible and integral part of the company culture.

Make Allyship Visible

Encourage visible allyship by providing employees with symbols of support, like rainbow lanyards or ally badges. For example, Salesforce encourages employees to wear pronoun pins or display stickers that signify their support for the LGBTQ+ community. Additionally, appointing LGBTQ+ inclusion champions at various levels can help integrate allyship into the daily culture..

Recognise Inclusion as an Ongoing Journey

Inclusion isn’t a one-time task; it’s an evolving process. Regularly update your diversity training to reflect current issues and integrate inclusivity into every stage of the employee lifecycle, from onboarding to promotions.

Address Serious Issues Beyond Celebrations

While celebrating Pride is important, companies must also address the serious challenges LGBTQ+ employees may face. For example, consider implementing policies that protect transgender employees, such as gender-neutral bathrooms and health benefits that cover gender-affirming care. Goldman Sachs has been a leader in this area, offering comprehensive healthcare coverage that includes transition-related procedures.

Cultivate Compassion and Understanding

Encourage a culture where employees educate each other compassionately. For example, LinkedIn has implemented training sessions that focus on “calling in” rather than “calling out” when someone makes a mistake regarding gender identity or sexual orientation. This approach helps build a more inclusive and empathetic environment by focusing on education rather than punishment.

Avoid Overburdening LGBTQIA+ Employees

Ensure that the responsibility of educating others about LGBTQ+ issues doesn’t fall solely on LGBTQIA+ employees. Invest in external resources, such as hiring diversity consultants to lead training sessions.

Allow Employees to Choose Their Own Labels

Respect how employees choose to identify themselves. For example, allow flexibility in your HR systems so that employees can easily change their name or gender marker without needing to go through complex legal processes. Adobe, for instance, has made it easy for employees to update their personal information, including pronouns and chosen names, in all internal systems.

Use Inclusive Language

Adopt language that makes all employees feel included. Provide a guide for inclusive language use within your company. For instance, Airbnb has created a comprehensive style guide that promotes the use of gender-neutral language in all communications, both internal and external. This ensures that no one feels alienated by outdated or insensitive terminology.

Normalise Pronoun Sharing

Encourage employees to include their pronouns in email signatures and on company platforms. For example, Slack has integrated options for users to display their pronouns directly on their profiles, making it easier for everyone to address colleagues correctly. However, emphasise that this is voluntary, allowing employees to choose what’s comfortable for them.

Avoid Performative Actions

Don’t just display a rainbow logo during Pride month; make genuine contributions to LGBTQ+ causes. For example, Microsoft not only participates in Pride celebrations but also donates to LGBTQ+ organisations year-round and supports policies that protect LGBTQ+ rights. This commitment shows that the company’s support goes beyond surface-level gestures.

Develop and Enforce Strong Inclusion Policies

Ensure your inclusion policies are not just words on paper but are actively practiced. For example, consider creating an Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (ED&I) committee that meets regularly to review and update policies.

OTHER RESOURCES

This project has been funded by the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union (Project N.  2022-3-DE04-KA210-YOU-000099662).

The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.