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Online Symposium Recap | Unilever Signs Declaration

1 July 2020
John Ryan
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1 June 2020

Friday, June 19th was the big day! After re-designing our entire 2020 program due to the global pandemic, overcoming extreme technological challenges, and shifting mid-stream to embrace the growing conversation surrounding the Black Life Matters movement, our 2020 Online Symposium finally hit the airwaves. 

With over 400 registrations from 40 different countries, the Online Symposium provided an innovative forum to explore its theme of “Great Expectations: Envisioning a new decade of LGBTI workplace inclusion”. 

The Symposium kicked off with a heartfelt interview with Claudia Brind-Woody from IBM who shared her own experience as an open lesbian in Academia and the business world. While she faced many challenges in her career, Claudia pointed out that she also seized and created many opportunities simply by being herself. She left us with the meaningful quote from the poet and writer Maya Angelou who said: “ My wish for you is that you continue. Continue to be who you are, to astonish a mean world with your acts of kindness.”

The future of LGBTI workplace inclusion, and indeed social and economic interactions on many levels was covered in four interactive breakout sessions dealing with: 

  • The economic impact of LGBTI inclusive cities (Open for Business) 
  • A deep dive into Workplace Pride’s toolkit for the UN’s LGBTI Standards of Business Conduct (Graham Sparks, Dow & Shell) 
  • The situation of the LGBTI community in Europe (ILGA Europe) 
  • Attracting young talent in the future (Young@WorkplacePride)

Perhaps the highlight of the Symposium though was the signing of the Declaration of Amsterdam by Unilever. In a recorded message, Allan Jope, CEO of Unilever, outlined how important it was for his company to support LGBTI inclusion in all of their activities around the world. While it will be an ongoing challenge, his signing of the declaration was a very powerful step in the right direction. Workplace Pride salutes this effort in support of the LGBT community around the world, and encourages other organisations to do the same.

Allan’s recording was followed by an interview with two of his colleagues, Anne Schreuders and Frank Galestien, who explored in more detail how they envisioned LGBT inclusion at Unilever in the coming year, and how the company will progress towards its goal of being the most diverse and inclusive company in the world! To view PRESS RELEASE .

Keynote speaker: Claudia Brind-Woody, Managing Director Walgreens-Boots Alliance, IBM 
Keynote speaker: Alan Jope, CEO Unilever, signs the Declaration of Amsterdam and shares his thoughts on how employers will address the LGBTI workplace in the coming decade
ILGA EUROPE BREAKOUT SESSION
OPEN FOR BUSINESS BREAKOUT SESSION
UN TOOLKIT BREAKOUT SESSION
YOUNG@WORKPLACEPRIDE BREAKOUT SESSION
MARK EMDIN, BIANCA NIJHOF, MICHIEL KOLMAN

WP HQ – DAVID POLLARD AND BART BARTLETT
READY TO GO LIVE!

VIDEOS OF THE BREAKOUT SESSIONS BELOW:

To see the ILGA Europe Breakout click here

To see the Open For Business Breakout click here

To see the UN Standards Toolkit Breakout click here

To see the Young@Workplace Pride Breakout click here

Workplace Pride appoints new co-chairs to further foster LGBTI-inclusion

22 June 2020
John Ryan
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PRESS RELEASE

Amsterdam, June 22 2020

Amsterdam, June 22 2020 – Workplace Pride – a nonprofit foundation dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTI-people in workplaces worldwide – announced two new co-chairs to its Foundation Board. Michiel Kolman (Senior Vice President at Elsevier) and Bianca Nijhof (Managing Director at
Netherlands Water Partnership, NWP) are taking over the reins from Mark Emdin, who has chaired the Foundation for six years. Both have committed themselves to enhancing LGBTI rights as new co-chairs and to addressing LGBTI workplace inclusion – which is more relevant today than ever
before.

In an historic ruling issued last week, the United States’ Supreme Court decided that LGBTI people can no longer be formally discriminated against in the workplace. While this ruling has far-reaching implications for millions of American workers and opens the door to challenging other discriminatory practices, the state of affairs is not improving in many other countries and regions.

Limited priority for diversity and inclusion within organizations

An important task awaits the new co-chairs. Apart from the most distressing cases – such as the growing body of anti-LGBTI legislation in Poland and Hungary – discrimination and LGBTI-inclusion remains problematic in many regions and organizations. . A Berenschot research published last weekshows that for most companies in the Netherlands, diversity and inclusion are still not a priority: Only 20 percent of the surveyed companies pursue an active diversity policy and for most companies, diversity and inclusion were near the bottom of their priority list.

In addition, the current pandemic may be an incentive for governments and organizations to move diversity and inclusion further down their list of priorities. This is bad news not only for the LGBTI-community, but also for companies and governments, as an increasing body of literature shows that inclusion and diversity are strongly related to innovation and growth. Inclusion and diversity are not only a moral duties – they are assets, according to the new co-chairs.

About the new co-chairs of Workplace Pride: Michiel Kolman and Bianca Nijhof

During their careers, Michiel Kolman and Bianca Nijhof built up an extensive resumé when it comes to fostering LGBTI-inclusion in the workplace. In- and outside their respective organizations Elsevier and NWP, the two are recognised as prominent advocates of workplace inclusion. Both are already  members of the Workplace Pride Board.

  • Michiel Kolman is Senior Vice President Information Industry Relationsat Elsevier andSpecial Envoy for Diversity and Inclusionat the International Publishers Association. At his employer, Kolman has been the driving force behind the coming about of Elsevier Pride. In 2014 and 2015, he was included in the OUTstanding 100, a list of LGBTI business leaders composed by the Financial Times.‘The business case for LGBTI inclusion has never been more compelling. Emphasis on diversity and inclusion is strongly correlated to innovation and creativity. Inclusion does not only benefit members of the LGBTI community, it is an asset to organizations and their cultures’, Kolman said regarding the announcement. During his time as co-chair, Kolman will commit to strengthening the academic pillar of the Foundation.  
Michiel Kolman, Co-Chair Workplace Pride Foundation, June 2020
  • Bianca Nijhof is Managing Director at Netherlands Water Partnership. At previous employers as a member of the D&I team and now as the director she strives for a diverse and inclusive working environment. She is also the coordinator for the SDG 6 Alliance of The Netherlands working closely with the other SDG coordinators to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.‘I am proud to become co-chair together with Michiel for the Workplace Pride Foundation Board. Especially during these difficult times, when many existing norms are challenged, we need to think more intensively about implementing diversity and inclusion in its many forms. During my time as co-chair, I want to contribute to a world in which everyone has a say in the coming about of new standards’, Nijhof commented on her announcement as co-chair.
Bianca Nijhof, Co-Chair Workplace Pride Foundation, June 2020

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–END OF PRESS RELEASE –

Note for the press

For questions or interview requests, please contact; David Pollard – Executive Director at Workplace Pride Foundation, via david@workplacepride.org or Simone Schuilwerve –Communication Advisor at Issuemakers, via s.schuilwerve@issuemakers.nl.

About Workplace Pride

Workplace Pride Foundation is the international, not for profit platform for the inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex (LGBTI) people at work. Its many members employ more than 4.5 million people worldwide. Initiated in 2006 with 4 corporate members Workplace Pride has seen enormous membership growth over the last years, leading up to more than 70 members today. Diversity among the members has been increasing with corporates (e.g. IBM), governments (e.g. Dutch Rijksoverheid), academic institutions (e.g. Leiden University), NGOs (e.g. Oxfam Novib) currently among the Foundation’s members. In recent years the Foundation has seen a surge in international activities at the request of its members, attracting organizations and individuals from across the globe. The Foundation has organised activities in countries ranging from Nairobi to Manilla, and from Singapore to Moscow. 

Workplace Pride’s important results

  • In January 2017, Workplace Pride and Leiden University created the world’s first university professorship (Chair) dedicated exclusively to LGBTI workplace inclusion. The Workplace Pride Chair holder is Dr. Jojanneke van der Toorn. With the generous support of Foundation Member KPN, the 5-year duration of the Chair has taken this topic to a new level of scientific scrutiny, benefiting employers, employees, the academic world and the LGBTI community alike. 
  • As of today close to 30 members have signed the Declaration of Amsterdam spelling out their commitment in 10 areas to achieve LGBTI workplace inclusion.
  • Around 40 members are participating annually in the Global Benchmark which will allow these organizations to see how they compare to others in 8 key areas of LGBTI workplace inclusion.
  • In 2020, Workplace Pride launched its toolkit for the United Nations LGBT Standards of Conduct for Business. This practical and tested business tool helps organizations implement their LGBTI policies and practice across the globe. The Toolkit has received the endorsement of both the United Nations and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Historic Ruling Against LGBTI Workplace Discrimination

16 June 2020
John Ryan
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16 June 2020

Susan Walsh/AP
Photography: Susan Walsh/AP

Workplace Pride is absolutely delighted with the USA Supreme Court ruling that LGBTI people can no longer be discriminated against in the workplace in the United States. This 6 to 3 ruling is both groundbreaking and historic and will have far-reaching implications around the world; particularly in those countries and regions of the world that have relied on populism to support homophobia, biphobia and transphobia – even in the workplace. 

“While probably a coincidence with the Black Live Matters events and the emerging ‘civil rights movement version 2” , the timing of this ruling really could not be more significant.” said David Pollard, Executive Director of Workplace Pride Foundation. “It is a clear signal that LGBTI people, along with people of colour, and anyone else who feels marginalised, has a fundamental human right to be respected in society and treated as equals in the workplace”.

In the greater context of LGBTI workplace inclusion this ruling shows that, at least in the USA, the largest marketplace in the world, employers now have all the tools at hand to create workplaces that are truly inclusive and based on merit; not the colour of a person’s skin, identity, physical ability, gender or, indeed who they love. 

Workplace Pride encourages all employers to now apply this same level of inclusion  for LGBTI people in all of their activities around the world. Where they encounter resistance due to colonial-era laws or claims of ‘cultural inappropriateness’, it will be useful to remember that these, often antiquated concepts are now being universally challenged. It is also useful to remember that the LGBTI community and our many allies, (including investors as this Bloomberg article refers to) will always be mindful of those organisation who are supportive. 

Finally, for Workplace Pride, our members, and our many friends and colleagues in the LGBTI community this is a validation that we are on the right track with our efforts. But it is also a reminder that there are still many places around the globe where LGBTI people cannot be themselves. It is our hope that this ruling will empower all employers to take a good hard look at where we are and where we all still need to go…together!

Related Articles on this topic: 

CNN: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/15/politics/supreme-court-lgbtq-employment-case/index.html

BBC: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53055632

Politico: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/15/supreme-court-lgbt-rights-decision-319693

New York Times:  https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/15/us/gay-transgender-workers-supreme-court.html

2020 Online Symposium on 19 June 2020

11 June 2020
John Ryan
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Categories: News

11 June 2020

ACCESS ONLINE SYMPOSIUM HERE
REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED

You are cordially invited to the Workplace Pride 2020 Online Symposium. With the theme of “Great expectations, Envisioning a new decade of LGBTI Workplace Inclusion”, the symposium will take a thorough look at both of the challenges and the opportunities for our community and for workplaces in the coming 10 years. Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, this topic takes on a new urgency which will be addressed throughout the symposium. 

Participants will learn from LGBTI workplace pioneer Claudia Brind-Woody about progress over the years and her vision for the future and take part in the signing of the Declaration of Amsterdam by Unilever CEO, Alan Jope. They will also have the opportunity to choose from four different breakout sessions looking at such diverse topics as: 

  • Economic LGBTI competitiveness of cities, 
  • Hurdles and possibilities for the LGBTI community in Europe, 
  • Practical applications of the UN LGBTI Standards of Conduct for Business,
  • The vision of young LGBTI professionals for the coming decade.

Scroll below to see the full program.

The symposium is free and open to all, however, it is required to register ahead of time. Workplace Pride members will be given priority for unlimited registration until it opens to the public on Thursday, June 11th. 

Date/Time: Friday, June 19th 2020: 15:00 – 17:00 (Amsterdam time) followed by 30 minutes of online networking & music.

Program

15:00 – 17:00

Symposium Moderator: Mark Emdin: Chair, Workplace Pride

Keynote speaker: Claudia Brind-Woody, Managing Director Walgreens-Boots Alliance, IBM   

“A conversation with an LGBTI workplace pioneer. Thoughts and advice for the coming decade” 

Breakouts: Sessions run simultaneously and participants may choose which one to attend. 

1. “ What is the future for LGBTI progress in Europe?”

With their annual Rainbow Map just being published, ILGA Europe knows better than most about the situation for LGBTI people across the continent. This breakout looks at some of the challenges currently facing our community and how the interaction with employers is on the brink of change. 

Hosted by: 

  • Evelyne Paradis and Anna Shepherd, ILGA Europe.

2. “ How inclusive and competitive is your city?”

Amsterdam has scored highest in the world on the new Open for Business report showing that LGBT+ inclusion is a key ingredient in urban economic resilience and competitiveness This breakout session, details their findings about the relationship between this quality and a city’s GDP per capita, innovation potential, ability to attract talent, and quality of life. 

Hosted by: 

  • Drew Keller and Kathryn Dovey, Open for Business

3. “From Advocacy to Action” – using the UN LGBTI Standards to build a more inclusive workplace

Hosted by: 

  • Graham Sparks; Joyce Peirsman, Dow; and Pedro Kuijt Rumayor, Shell

4. “Will your company attract young talent in the future?” – Research on the future of LGBTI+ inclusion in the workplace by Young@Workplace Pride                                                                                                                                  

In this session, we will report on the top three expectations of students and young professionals have for potential future employers based on conversations with three experience groups. Our Young team will propose both quick wins and structural solutions to improve LGBTI inclusion, taking into consideration actions that can be integrated into post-COVID integration planning.

Hosted by: 

  • Ali Buck; Steven Kienhorst, IBM; Hannah Roan, Uber; Joost van der Sande, KLM.

Keynote speaker: Alan Jope, CEO Unilever, signs the Declaration of Amsterdam and shares his thoughts on how employers will address the LGBTI workplace in the coming decade. 

Closing Discussions: 

  • A conversation with a D&I HR representative about the situation on the ground 
  • Introduction of new incoming Chairs, Bianca Nijhof and Michiel Kolman 

17:00 – 17:30

Online networking opportunities in the Workplace Pride “Online Lobby”

REGISTER HERE
Note: If you have any problems accessing our online Symposium event then please email: 
info@workplacepride.org

“I am a new me” Webinar

10 June 2020
John Ryan
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10 June 2020

For the eighth episode in our “Keeping Member Connected” live webinar series, the theme was Transgender issues and how they affect people in the workplace and life in general.

To speak about the challenges and struggles of being Transgender is something many people are probably uncomfortable with.

However, Sophie from ING and Max from Aegon spoke in candid detail about their life experiences and interactions at work both in the past and present. They also addressed how COVID-19 is affecting health care in the Netherlands and the knock-on effects within the Transgender community currently.

With a live online audience from twenty-two countries, we heard very honestly human stories and heard Sophie and Max express frankly what their colleagues at work could do a little better and in fact, that these issues reach across to allies and even other sections of the LGBTI community.

To watch the webinar: view here

AkzoNobel signs Declaration of Amsterdam

3 June 2020
John Ryan
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3 June 2020

Workplace Pride member AkzoNobel, has reaffirmed their commitment to LGBTI inclusion at work by signing the Declaration of Amsterdam. The Declaration is a 10 point action plan, created by the Foundation in 2011, which outlines the responsibilities of employers as well as employees to create work environments where LGBT people can truly be themselves. 

The signing took place yesterday, June 2nd at the start of the Pride Month celebrations around the world. Given the ongoing challenges surrounding the global COVID-19 pandemic, AkzoNobel has created a unique way to honour the spirit of pride month by an initiative called “Pass the Pride”.  By sharing videos and statements in a very structured and far-reaching way, the company wants to highlight how important this month has become for both LGBT employees and their allies. 

Signing the Declaration on behalf of of AkzoNobel was their CEO Thierry Vanlancker, who pointed out how important it was that everyone could be themselves at the company. He was joined by David Pollard, Executive Director of Workplace Pride who said: 

“We applaud this type of visible commitment for our community who, due to the very unusual circumstances that we are all living through, can become even more marginalised, alone and vulnerable. Support from the highest levels like this is a boost of confidence for all of us”. 

Please join us and all members of Workplace Pride to congratulate AkzoNobel on the courage to take the step. 

IDAHOBIT DAY

18 May 2020
John Ryan
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Keeping the Rainbow flag flying

18 May 2020

Christiaan Rebergen and Mark van Enckevort raise the flag and the Ministry of Finance in The Hague 

On Friday the 15th of May, the rainbow flag was raised at government locations nationwide (as well as all Dutch Embassies around the world) to commemorate Sunday, May 17th, as International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT). 

Workplace Pride was at The Ministry of Finance in The Hague to attend the ceremony conducted by Christiaan Rebergen (Treasurer General of the Ministry of Finance) and Mark Van Enckevort (the new chair of Dutch Government Pride and chair of B/proud).

IDAHOT was declared on May 17th, 1990, when homosexuality was officially removed as a listed disease by the World Health Organization. The international IDAHOT committee has given IDAHOT 2020 the motto “Breaking the silence”. The Dutch IDAHOT platform has translated that into “Speak out”. Speaking up for solidarity with each other and opposing transphobia and homophobia.

“For the national government, this means that we consider an open working atmosphere and an inclusive, LGBTI + friendly working climate very important. We want everyone to be able and willing to be themselves in the workplace. This is an important condition for achieving results at work together in a relaxed manner. On this day we would like to emphasize that hatred and violence against LGBTI + people is unacceptable. Raising the rainbow flag symbolizes this.”

Christiaan Rebergen and Mark van Enckevort spoke with us about the importance and significance of IDAHOT for the Netherlands and beyond.

See an interview with Christiaan Rebergen and Mark van Enckevort

Amsterdam: The world’s most LGBT+ inclusive and competitive city!

14 May 2020
John Ryan
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14 May 2020

Workplace Pride Foundation congratulates our member, the City of Amsterdam for scoring the highest in the Open for Business 2020 report on the world’s most competitive and inclusive LGBT+ cities. 

Open For Business, a coalition of global companies promoting LGBT+ inclusive societies, released their report today that contains a clear message for cities around the world: LGBT+ inclusion is a key ingredient in urban economic resilience and competitiveness.

New data in the report shows the connections between economic performance and LGBT+ inclusion in cities around the world, and indicates that LGBT+ inclusive cities may be more economically resilient. 

Data highlights the direct relationship between LGBT+ inclusion and a city’s GDP per capita, innovation potential, ability to attract talent, and quality of life. There are 16 top-tier AAA cities, or “Global Beacons”. Amsterdam received the highest score in the ratings and is celebrated as the world’s most inclusive and competitive city.

Of course this comes as no surprise to us here at Workplace Pride as we have worked closely with the city for more than 10 years to help promote LGBT inclusion in the workplace. 

“We are so proud of our hometown! It has created such a fertile environment for cooperation between employers of all types, civil society, and the LGBT community.  Together, we have all helped to make this a beacon for many in the world! ”  

David Pollard, Exec. Director Workplace Pride. 

Links:

Click below to view and download the press release:

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Click below to view and download the full report:

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For more information, write to info@workplacepride.org 

Workplace Pride Launches UN LGBTI Standards Toolkit

14 May 2020
John Ryan
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14 May 2020

Workplace Pride Foundation is pleased to announce the publication of our Toolkit for the United Nations Standards of LGBTI Business Conduct. This toolkit is designed as a one-stop-shop to help organisations implement the general principles outlined in the Standards of Conduct. It takes practical examples gathered from Workplace Pride member organisations, good practices from our Global Benchmark, as well as data from extensive interviews with practitioners to create a comprehensive guide to achieving greater LGBTI inclusion in the workplace

The toolkit was developed in conjunction with Workplace Pride’s Advisory Board member, Graham Sparks and was launched in episode five of the Foundation’s “Keeping Members Connected” webinar series. In the webinar, Graham sets the context and guides us through, in a step by step approach, how to use it, why the toolkit is practical for organisations, and how it can be leveraged by all types of employers. Most importantly, he demonstrates that this toolkit can also be used by LGBTI civil society organisations to interact with businesses and better understand how they can work collaboratively. 

While primarily designed for Workplace Pride members, who have access to a greater degree of toolkit material, the basic toolkit is publicly available and contains a wealth of information for all parties. 

Links:

Click here to view the Webinar: Launching of the Workplace Pride UN Standards of Conduct Toolkit

Click here to view the toolkit: Public version of the Workplace Pride UN Standards of Conduct Toolkit

For more information, write to info@workplacepride.org 

Website Update!

3 April 2020
John Ryan
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3 April 2020

Welcome to the new and improved Workplace Pride Foundation website. In our ongoing efforts to be more effective for our members and stakeholders, the Foundation website has been made more user-friendly with simpler navigation and clearer terminology. Here you will find the most important information you need to know about Workplace Pride’s activities around the world. 

With future developments firmly in mind, this update includes a more intuitive search function, an expanded media category, and an easy to use activities calendar. Our products and services are grouped under the menu item, ’Solutions’ while an overview of our current members and information about joining the Foundation can be found under ‘Members’.

We are also very excited about our new password protected section on the website dedicated exclusively to our members. This section is still in development, but is expected to be launched within two weeks. It will include:

  • A wealth of resources on LGBTI workplace inclusion proceed and gathered by the Foundation over the years
  • The Workplace Pride Toolkit for the UN Standards on LGBTI Business Conduct
  • Members’ forums dedicated to specific topics
  • Exclusive information about the Global Benchmark and Employee Survey, and
  • The possibility to be part of the Workplace Pride contact directory

The Members Section will be updated on a regular basis and will be a ‘one-stop-shop’ for timely communications with our members. 

In these challenging times, it is more important than ever to be clear and concise about the priorities for the LGBTI community in the workplace and with all of our supporters and allies around the world. This website takes us all a step in that direction!

Best regards,

David Pollard

Executive director

Workplace Pride Foundation