Being an Ally to the LGBTQ+ Community, I feel a part of this organization’s developmental journey where I help in bringing a space of collaboration and understanding to exhibit more essential components of employee morale, productivity, and essentially more respect and dignity at the workplace.
While we talk of building an LGBTQ-inclusive workplace, we must think of some of the low-hanging fruits in terms of helping people understand the meaning of sexual orientation, what are toxic conversations, how to address people from the community and leading to creating workplace practices and policies in creating a better and equitable environment.
Through this note, I want to reiterate how bringing an inclusive workplace for the LGBTQ community, helps developing an individual and the organization. Based on my interaction with leaders of some of the progressive organizations, I have been able to summarise some valid examples which help in bringing this live for me.
How an Inclusive place brings better value for employees:
- Builds better mental wellness and health – Statistics have shown that people could collaborate better as they were more open and engaged due to the higher happiness quotient and more free space to discuss and deal with their mental issues.
- It is also seen that people in Inclusive organizations participate in the organization’s success genuinely giving their best of effort and time.
- People are able to lead the projects from the front i.e., they are able to show their visibility in the projects and authenticate their true presence by their active involvement.
- An inclusive workplace for LGBTQAI brings better endurance for people from the community. The community members can draw inner strength through effective ally support programs, mentorship support, and help which helps them to be stronger in building them for future challenges.
- The inclusive workplace offers a safe space to all employees. We should be aware that it is not appropriate for organizations to push people to conform that they belong to the community. In the absence of the actual known population, the inclusive workplace offers a safe space to all the employees irrespective of their conformation or not.
An inclusive workplace also offers benefits to the organizations by developing better culture and bringing its true potential in work and output:
- This certainly leads to lesser political relationships at work. Healthier relationships lead to more collaboration and authentic contributions by the employees.
- This leads to reduced toxicity at work dealing with the extreme sensitivity of employees while they communicate with each other leading to richer and healthier conversations that are output driven dissolving conflicts.
- The culture develops a lesser hierarchy as people get closer to each other to develop virtual teams to achieve their objectives.
- This leads to better cultural diversity leading to higher productivity and lesser employee turnover.
- The benefits to an LGBTQ+ inclusive workplace extend beyond that of making sure employees of all sexualities and gender expressions feel safe and valid, though this is the primary reason. LGBTQ+ inclusive workplaces benefit businesses too in terms of productivity and profitability.
- A study in the US by Out Now titled ‘LGBT 2020 – LGBT Diversity Show Me the Business Case’ found that the US economy could save $9 billion annually if organizations implemented more effective inclusion policies for their LGBTQ+ staff. This is partially attributed to avoiding costs from stress and ill-health associated with LGBTQ+ staff who need to hide their identity at work or experience discrimination. The study also cited the customer loyalty and buying power of the LGBTQ+ market. Additionally, customers are likelier to leave businesses that have cases of discrimination made public.
So, having robust inclusion strategies in place for LGBTQ+ staff makes sense from a business perspective as well as an ethical standpoint. This is because all employees will feel less stressed and more productive as respected members of a cohesive team. There are some key LGBTQ+ inclusion strategies that SMEs can consider adopting for a more LGBTQ+-friendly workforce:
Review Your Policies for LGBTQ+ Inclusion
Having LGBTQ+ policies in the workplace is crucial for setting guidelines on how to be more inclusive and avoid discrimination.
LGBTQ+ inclusion should be a core part of your Equality and Diversity policy; having a separate policy for LGBTQ+ inclusion is an even clearer way to show your commitment to tackling discrimination in this area. Also, make sure all your policies are LGBTQ+ inclusive, for example, your policies on parental leave, adoption, and pensions.
Provide LGBTQ+ Training
Offering LGBTQ+ training in the workplace as part of equality and diversity training can be a powerful way to educate everyone about LGBTQ+ issues.
Training helps ensure your policies are heard and understood across the organization. Plus, having a training management system in place helps you keep track of your progress.
Set up an LGBTQ+ Network
For growing SMEs, creating an LGBTQ+ network can be a great way to support staff. A network means LGBTQ+ employees can meet in a safe space within their place of work to relate to one another.
As a focus group, network members can also help you identify and improve upon issues affecting LGBTQ+ staff, so you can continually improve your approach.
Appoint LGBTQ+ Allies
Are there non-LGBTQ+ people in your workplace who are passionate about or interested in LGBTQ+ rights? Get them onboard as an LGBTQ+ ally; they can champion LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace and act as a source of support for LGBTQ+ staff.
Incorporate Gender-Neutral Language
Gender-neutral language avoids bias towards a particular gender. Using ‘they’ instead of ‘he/she’ in contracts and other company documentation is a good step towards this, as is monitoring ongoing communications for gender neutrality.
Create Unisex Toilets
Whenever possible, there should be a gender-neutral bathroom option, particularly if you provide singular toilets. Unisex bathrooms are more inclusive for non-binary people, who don’t identify within the gender binary that single-sex toilets uphold.
Beyond this, unisex toilets are also cheaper to build and cut down waiting times for women significantly.
Celebrate LGBTQ+ History and Events
Celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month, Pride, or Trans Day of Visibility just as you would other important days in the calendar. This will be a great boost to LGBTQ+ awareness and inclusion throughout the year. You can use these dates and milestones as learning opportunities for all staff.
Involve LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ employees and celebrate important days and events to continuously spread awareness of your policies.
