Creating Inclusive Workplaces for LGBT Employees

 Creating Inclusive Workplaces for LGBT Employees

What is LGBT

LGBT: Abbreviation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender. An umbrella term used to refer to the community as a whole. Pansexual/Omnisexual: Terms used to describe people who have romantic, sexual or affectional desire for people of all genders and sexes.

Common barriers for transgender and gender-diverse people in the workplace

 

Below are a few examples of the kinds of barriers that trans people might face in affirming their gender or having their gender recognized in their workplace. 

Fear

Fear of bullying, social exclusion, being treated differently, and outright hostility. 

Security

Worried about losing your job, losing status, or forgoing promotions, opportunities or extra responsibilities?

 

Guilt and Shame

Shame about asking for help, slowing down, or needing to seem like you have it ‘all together’. 

Lack of staff education

Having to educate colleagues or managers about ‘trans issues. Being forced to handle awkward or inappropriate questions. Having to be your own advocate. 

Time

Time to have appointments, and surgeries, get used to hormonal changes, or take care of your own wellbeing. 

Money

Not being able to afford new clothes that are work-appropriate. Not being able to afford the affirmative care options you desire.

Mental load and mental health

Not all trans people have a linear coming-out experience. They may choose to affirm their gender in certain spaces and relationships but not others. For certain people affirming their gender at work is far more manageable than affirming it with their family. The period where someone does choose to pursue affirming their gender and/or come out to their family, partner, or work colleagues can be incredibly psychologically taxing. It is a time when trans people are likely to face an intensification of stress, discrimination, rejection, and the possible breakdown of important relationships.

Empowering LGBT employees to be their true selves at work.

LGBT employees are not strangers to hostility or micro-aggressions in the workplace. Many are closeted at work out of fear of how others will treat them or that they’ll suffer a professional setback. 

Concealing gender identity or sexual orientation can be exhausting, demoralizing, and suffocating. For all employees to be healthy, happy, and productive, we need to erase the fear and replace it with freedom. Create the kind of workplace where everyone is free to come as they are and celebrate your employees for the diversity they bring. Whatever flags your employees fly, give them the support and encouragement they need to wave them high and proud. 

Case Study

“In an Australian survey of LGBT people, around 60 per cent of transgender males and 50 per cent of transgender females reported having depression. A 2007 survey of Australian and New Zealand transgender people found that almost 90 per cent had experienced at least one form of stigma or discrimination, including verbal abuse, social exclusion, receiving lesser treatment due to their name or sex on documents, physical threats and violence.” – Beyond Blue

 

Educate, Agitate, Organise!

 

This work only happens if people decide to champion it in their workplaces. Organise your colleagues, develop the policies, propose the changes to HR or your CEO, and get them included in your next Enterprise Bargaining Agreement

It’s vital to get changes included in your Organization. The reason why is because right now we are seeing attacks on trans people skyrocket globally. 

I personally fear that we are seeing the beginning of a growing anti-trans movement in the global. Trans people are being used as the conservatives' new wedge issue to stoke public outrage. Making permanent changes in our organization is one way we can lock in protections for trans people, regardless of what happens in government over the coming years. 

Conclusion

 Discrimination against sexual minorities in the workplace is a pervasive problem that can have a significant impact on their professional and personal lives. Sexual minorities may face verbal harassment, exclusion from job opportunities, unequal treatment, and physical or sexual harassment. Discrimination can lead to psychological and physical health problems, affecting their overall career growth and well-being. Employers can take steps to address discrimination by creating policies and procedures that protect employees, promoting inclusivity and diversity, and taking action against discriminatory behaviour. By creating a culture of inclusivity and equality, we can work towards creating a workplace that is free from discrimination and supports the success of all employees. Implementing policies and practices that promote inclusivity and diversity is essential for creating a workplace where LGBTQ employees feel supported, valued, and respected. When HR implements these policies and practices, it can lead to improved job satisfaction, employee engagement, and overall business success. This essay examines the significance of implementing these policies and practices to promote a positive work environment

Reference

1.    www.cgtstaffing.com/resources/lgbtq-employees/
2. American Institutes for Research. (2014). A guide for understanding, supporting, and affirming LGBTQI2-S children, youth, and families.
3. Encyclopedia of Contemporary LGBTQ Literature of the United States by Emmanuel S. Nelson (Editor)
4.  www.britannica.com/topic/gay-rights-movement
5. The Health and Well-Being of Transgender Australians: A National Community 
6. Surveywww.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/behavioral-competencies