Challenges LGBTQ+ Employees Face in the Workplace
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Do you think your company is a welcoming space for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) employees? If you are similar to other business leaders, you may think it is an environment of inclusion, that various diversity initiatives are in place, you have employees who openly identify as LGBTQ+, and people seem to respect each other's differences. The Canadian Human Rights Act, established in 1985, acknowledged that all individuals have equal opportunity in the workplace, with the prevention of discriminatory acts, no matter their gender, sexual orientation, race, disability, religion, or age. You may think you have been fighting discriminatory practices in your organization for years, so what could be the problem, right? In short, your company might not be as inclusive as you think.
While diversity and inclusion have become top priorities of corporate brands over the past decade, many LGBTQ+ employees still face issues of discrimination, distress, and the possibility of dangerous threats in the workforce. In fact, in a survey conducted of 814 Canadians, one-third of participants did not feel their workplace was an inclusive space for LGBTQ+ employees.
Additionally, companies that appear to be LGBTQ+ friendly, may not be as inclusive as they seem. According to Pride at Work Canada, only 11% of organizations have their managers take advanced training on LGBTQ+ issues relevant to their role. This leaves a large number of company leaders with inadequate knowledge of how to properly support LBGTQ+ employees in the workplace. Through proper training, you can build a workplace that is a safe and inclusive space for LGBTQ+ employees which will lead to many positive impacts on your business. It’s been proven that fostering diversity and allowing employees to be their authentic selves can lead to higher financial return, better employee retention, and an overall happier and more productive workplace.
4 Ways Employers Can Help LGBTQ+ Individuals Bring Their Authentic Selves to Work
1. Don't Use Microaggressions Towards Others
Microaggressions are indirect or unintentional discriminatory acts towards a member of a minority group. It is important that employers and employees are careful to not make assumptions about each other's personal lives or risk misgendering one another. At a fundamental level, this would be asking women about their husbands, and men about their wives. More appropriate terms would be “spouse” or “partner.” As well, it is critical to ask individuals for their pronouns as it is an important part of how they self-identify. The main goal is to avoid shaming people for who they authentically are.
A great initiative to help microaggressions would be “microsupport.” For example, asking people at company events to include their pronouns on their name tags. This may include he/him, she/her, they/them or any combination thereof. This gesture supports the LGBTQ+ community, helps educate employees about using an individuals’ personal pronouns, and reduces the chances that attendees will falsely misgender someone.
2. Educate Your Workplace Team
Education can help ensure that your LGBTQ+ engagement is actively existing throughout the business. The implementation of employee training can decrease the likelihood of unconscious bias, promote respect to LGBTQ+ employees, reduce microaggressions, and prepare employees on how to acknowledge and react to inappropriate actions. Many people are never given the opportunity to receive education about issues and mistreatment LGBTQ+ individuals face. This can leave employees with a lack of knowledge on their LGBTQ+ coworkers, such as being unable to refer to them by their desired pronouns. By educating employees, the chance of these occurrences happening is lowered.
To further educate yourself, check out LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion webinars and courses here.
3. Strengthen the Organization's Policies
Here are some important policies that have become standards at various workplaces that promote safe and discrimination free environments for LGBTQ+ employees:
A nondiscrimination policy that prohibits discrimination on gender identification and sexual orientation.
Human Resource documents and systems that are inclusive of personal pronouns and genders.
Gender-neutral restrooms for optimal comfort of employees.
Medical leave for employees who are transitioning.
Health insurance that covers hormone therapy and gender confirmation surgery for employees seeking to transition.
4. Set a Purposeful Example
A great way to set a purposeful example in the workplace is to support and participate in local pride events. This means doing more than just changing your corporate colours to a rainbow for a month. Gathering employees and attending these events can show your appreciation and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community, and encourages others to do the same. It is crucial to not only attend these events but also provide benefits and protections for your LGBTQ+ employees. Studies have shown that 36% of LGBTQ+ employees hide who they are at work because they don't want to make their coworkers uncomfortable. By fostering inclusion in your workplace, individuals may feel more comfortable being their true self at work. It should be highly encouraged to foster inclusion throughout your organization, as it not only improves your workplace culture but can also positively impact your employees innovation levels. Studies have found that employees who feel included in their workplace are 83% more innovative. This can prove to be a huge advantage for inclusive workplaces.
Check out the video below by ADP to learn more about the importance of LGBTQ+ diversity and inclusion policies in the workplace:
Every company leader has the power and opportunity to begin making changes to their company that support LGBTQ+ individuals. Providing employee training, educating your workforce, setting examples, and strengthening your policies are all purposeful initiatives that can instil the importance of ensuring that everyone in the workplace is able to live their lives free of discrimination. Even if you're not a leader in your organization, you still have the ability to influence change in your organization and coworkers to help make your workplace a safer space for everyone. Until every member of the LGBTQ+ community is treated equally in their workplace, changes must continue to be made. Workplace discrimination cannot end without the help of each and every person in the workforce.
Comment below and let us know about policies and initiatives your workplace has in place to help LBGTQ+ employees bring their authentic selves to work.