Create a LGBTQI+ friendly workplaces.

Angela Markel ended her speech at Harvard in 2019 with these words: “Tear Down walls of ignorance and narrow mindedness for nothing have to stay as it is.”

June is Pride month, and as a lot of companies change their logo’s with the Pride flag showing their amazing support for LGBTQI+ people, and a lot of great companies have inclusive work policies and practises, there are still a lot of people having to deal with direct and indirect discrimination for LGBTQI+ people in the workplace. Not all companies are brave enough to ensure the full protection of their LGBTQI+ employees.

So how do we change workplaces to be a full embracing community of people that are trustworthy and can openly discuss the issues that are being faced by LGBTQI+ employees? What are the practical things employers and employees can do to change work environments that is not discriminating against others?

Here is a few practical tips:

• 1)      Ensure that the company policies and procedures are inclusive – from employment application forms right through to pensions, family and leave time, medical aid support, relocation allowances. It is astounding how many companies still have an arcade and useless people policies and procedures that are (sometimes not intentionally) discriminating against LGBTQI+ employees. Ensure equality policies are in place and is held up in the workplace.
• 2)      Ensure that all employees, when onboarded, have some sort of sensitivity training around inclusivity.
• 3)      Set up working committee’s to address any LGBTQI+ employees issues that might arrive.
• 4)      Make an effort with pronouns – insist that pronouns are adhered to in meetings, social aspects and the like.
• 5)      Don’t be afraid to make mistakes  - make diversity a message from “the top” and address any issues as they arrive. Also, don’t be afraid to ask – as simple as that – from LGBTQI+ employees how they think things can be done better.
• 6)      Money talks – ensure that LGBTQI+ employees (and all employees for that matter) are correctly paid as per their counterparts.
• 7)      Develop LGBTQI+ employees to ensure resilience, leadership and role modelling are evident.
• 8)      Encourage open and honesty for all employees – ranging from productive feedback to ensure that any employee feels valued and heard.

Let’s be the generation that ends discrimination in the workplace! Let us be the generation that break down the walls of ignorance in the workplace.