Member Article

Fostering Inclusivity: Six ways to support LGBTQ+ employees at work

• One in 10 LGBTQ+ individuals have left a job due to their workplace not accepting them* • 46% of LGBTQ+ workers have experienced unjust treatment in the workplace* • Founder of leading mentoring platform PushFar provides insight into creating an inclusive workplace for LGBTQ+ individuals

In the workplace we should all feel accepted, safe, welcomed and free to be ourselves. And whilst in the past few decades the world has made great progress in LBGTQ+ acceptance, organisations need to do more to support their LGBTQ+ employees.

Shocking research from Stonewall has revealed that one in five LGBTQ+ people have been the target of negative comments at work, with a further one in five stating that they feel being LGBTQ+ limits their job opportunities**.

Now more than ever, organisations need to foster a culture of acceptance, equality and respect and commit to creating an inclusive work environment where everyone can thrive. Here, Ed Johnson, CEO and Co-Founder of leading online career progression and mentoring platform PushFar, offers his top tips for supporting LGBTQ+ employees at work and how to create an inclusive workplace environment.

1. Educate yourself When supporting LGBTQ+ employees in the workplace, the first step is to educate yourself before you look to educate other employees. Take the time to research things such as LGBTQ+ terminology, attend events and understand the issues faced by these employees. By doing so, you’ll have a better understanding of the experiences and challenges faced by these individuals, so you can put a more effective plan in place to make your workplace more inclusive.

2. Address discrimination seriously If you want your employees to feel respected and valued, then you need to show your employees that any discrimination will come with consequences. Establish a strong discrimination policy and take reports of harassment or bullying seriously to ensure employees feel safe in the workspace. Build a culture where employees feel they can report incidents, without fear of consequences, and when problems arrive, you need to promptly take action to ensure the safety of all individuals.

3. Use inclusive language Language matters, and when you use inclusive language, you’re making all employees feel included and protected in the workplace. The wrong words can leave employees feeling not only hurt but stigmatised, so ensure that no potentially offensive words are being used by any employee. Make sure to have the right resources in place to help your teams use acceptable language – an example of this could be including things such as pronouns in bios and name tags.

4. Create LGBTQ+ resource groups As an organisation, you need to be establishing or supporting LGBTQ+ resource groups. Not only do resource groups enable employees to connect and share their experiences, but they also offer a more effective level of support. When your employees can connect in a safe place, they can more freely express their concerns and relate to other experiences. These resource groups should also have a voice in the overall organisation’s decision-making process.

5. Celebrate LGBTQ+ History and Events Making your employees feel supported goes further than advocating for LGBTQ+ individuals in the workplace, so you should also show your support for the entire community. By celebrating and recognising occasions like Pride Month, Transgender Day of Visibility and local LGBTQ+ events, you can really show your commitment. When you involve both LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ employees in these celebrations, you’re on the right track to building an inclusive culture.

6. Implement Mentoring Programmes 82% of people surveyed said that they felt mentoring was extremely valuable to tackling diversity and inclusion challenges head on. Mentoring can play a crucial role in supporting LGBTQ+ employees, from having a space to share concerns and experiences to gaining further career support.

Supporting your LGBTQ+ employees isn’t something you can do once and expect to see results – it’s an ongoing process that takes time. Having a diverse and inclusive workforce is all about creating a supportive environment for all employees, making them feel seen and taking everyone’s experiences into account during the decision-making process.

For further information about how mentoring can be used to further support diversity and inclusion within your organisation check out PushFar.

References: *Zippia – LGBTQ+ Workplace Discrimination Statistics, 2023 **Stonewall, 2023 *PushFar, The State of Mentoring and Coaching, 2023

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lucy Seller .