Starter Kit
Welcome to the Workplace Pride Starter Kit – 10 Essentials for LGBTIQ+ Inclusion in the Workplace!
This comprehensive kit is designed to guide you through your first three months as a member of Workplace Pride, helping you navigate and contribute to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment. Take a moment to review the checklist, and identify key stakeholders and decision-makers who can expedite positive changes. Notify them of your collaboration with Workplace Pride to enlist their support in driving meaningful transformation.
Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity
Everyone should feel safe at work. However, not everybody feels safe at work for various reasons. LGBTIQ+ professionals experience discrimination, harassment and micro-aggression in many spaces in society. The workplace is no exception.
HR policies, including anti-discrimination policy and code of conduct, should be in place to reduce discrimination and harassment. Their goal is to foster inclusion in the workplace.
Questions:
Are sexual orientation and gender identity protected personal attributes in your company policies?
Who are the stakeholders and decision makers you’d need to consult with to change the current situation?
Intersex Status & Gender Expression
Everyone should feel safe at work. However, not everybody feels safe at work for various reasons. LGBTIQ+ professionals experience discrimination, harassment and microaggression in many spaces in society. The workplace is no exception.
HR policies, including anti-discrimination policy and code of conduct, should be in place to reduce discrimination and harassment. Their goal is to foster inclusion in the workplace.
Questions:
Are intersex status and gender expression protected personal attributes in your company’s HR policies?
Who are the stakeholders and decision makers you’d need to consult with to change the current situation?
Employee Resource Group (ERG)
An LGBTIQ+ employee network plays an integral role in fostering an inclusive workplace culture for employees. By collaborating with different stakeholders, an LGBTIQ+ employee network provides insights to senior leaders on how to advance workplace inclusion within an organisation.
Management’s involvement is also essential in advancing workplace inclusion.
Questions:
Do you have an LGBTIQ+ network in your organisation?
Does your LGBTIQ+ network officially advise organisational leaders on LGBTIQ+ workplace policy?
Who are the stakeholders and decision makers you’d need to consult with to change the current situation?
Budget Allocation
An LGBTIQ+ employee network plays an integral role in fostering an inclusive workplace culture for employees. By collaborating with different stakeholders, an LGBTIQ+ employee network provides insights to senior leaders on how to advance workplace inclusion within an organisation.
An allocated budget for the Employee network as well as management’s involvement is essential in advancing workplace inclusion
Questions:
Does your LGBTIQ+ network have their own granted budget?
Who are the stakeholders and decision makers you’d need to consult with to change the current situation?
Internal Event and/or External Event
How do you make sure that your employees are aware of your continuous effort in advancing LGBTIQ+ inclusion in your organisation? The best way to achieve this goal is to get them involved. Having an internal event is a great way to inform your employees about the initiatives and goals on the topic and a way to get more people to join and help your efforts.
Have you hosted an event, inviting external stakeholders to show the progress on LGBTIQ+ in your organisation? This is also an impactful approach to share how you tackled the challenge and made progress.
Questions:
Have you hosted an internal event dedicated to an LGBTIQ+ day or milestone (e.g. Coming Out Day, IDAHOBIT, Purple Friday etc.)?
Who are the stakeholders and decision makers you’d need to consult with to change the current situation?
Training
Do your employees fully understand the benefits of an inclusive workplace for LGBTIQ+ employees? By understanding the benefits of having a psychologically safe work environment, employees are more likely to pay attention to LGBTIQ+ inclusion and can connect the dots of the why.
Questions:
Is online or offline training on LGBTIQ+ inclusion available for your employees?
Does the training cover the challenges LGBTIQ+ professionals experience in the workplace?
Who are the stakeholders and decision makers you’d need to consult with to change the current situation?
Please note, Workplace Pride provides a free learning module to newly joined members!
Please look at the program overview below.
Support for LGBTIQ+ Employees
LGBTIQ+ professionals experience unique challenges in the workplace. For example, transgender professionals often face challenges when they psychologically, socially and physically transition from one gender to the other (or in between). Rainbow families often question whether they have access to equal benefits when they welcome a new family member(s) (e.g., parental leave).
Questions:
Do HR professionals understand the unique challenges LGBTIQ+ professionals face in the workplace?
Do LGBTIQ+ professionals have access to people they can consult with when they want to discuss challenges they experience in the workplace?
Who are the stakeholders and decision makers you’d need to consult with to change the current situation?
Inclusive Employee Benefits
Everyone, regardless of their personal attributes such as sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression should be covered by employee benefits. Some organisations have comprehensive employee benefits such as transition leave for transgender professionals. Another example is an inclusive family leave for diverse and rainbow families (e.g., adoption leave).
Questions:
How inclusive are your employee benefits for LGBTIQ+ professionals?
Do you actively use inclusive language in your employee benefits so that everyone, regardless of their LGBTIQ+ status is included?
Who are the stakeholders and decision makers you’d need to consult with to change the current situation?
Leadership Involvement
Organisational culture is not a self-healing system. To transform your organisational culture, leadership’s involvement is essential. Leadership can lead by example by showing their commitment for change.
Questions:
How well are leaders informed about the current challenges on LGBTIQ+ inclusion in your organisation?
Do leaders actively support LGBTIQ+ inclusion in your organisation?
Who are the stakeholders and decision makers you’d need to consult with to change the current situation?
LGBTIQ+ Employees and Allies
Some LGBTIQ+ employees choose not to disclose their LGBTIQ+ status in the workplace. Other LGBTIQ+ employees choose to come out in the workplace. Out of those who disclose their LGBTIQ+ status, some of them actively participate a rainbow ERG (employee resource group) to make a positive change. Some non-LGBTIQ+ identifying employees also join the force by supporting LGBTIQ+ inclusive initiatives.
Questions:
How well are employees informed about your rainbow ERG in your organization?
Are there mechanism in place to get feedback from LGBTIQ+ employees?
Do you supply allyship lanyards or stickers so that employees can show their support on LGBTIQ+ inclusion?
Who are the stakeholders and decision makers you’d need to consult with to change the current situation?
LGBTIQ+ inclusion is a cornerstone in cultivating diversity, equity, and respect within an organisation. The ability of individuals to authentically express themselves, irrespective of gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or gender expression, is pivotal for unlocking their full potential in the workplace.
Creating an inclusive environment, where individuals feel psychologically safe, not only enhances well-being but also sparks creativity and engagement. Extensive studies affirm that psychological safety significantly positively influences productivity.
Teams characterised by diversity, including varying sexual orientations and gender identities, demonstrate higher levels of innovation and creativity. Above all, it is imperative that every individual is accorded dignity and respect within the workplace.
We trust that this starter kit will prove invaluable in guiding your journey towards embracing LGBTIQ+ inclusion in our organisation. Your relationship manager stands ready with resources to assist you in influencing stakeholders, encouraging their active participation in driving positive change. Anticipating our continued collaboration, we are committed to working together to propel the cause of LGBTIQ+ inclusion within your organisation.