How Liberty Mutual supports their LGBTQ community

ERGS: Liberty Mutual Insurance 's LGBTQ ERG, Pride@Liberty is marking 10 years of bringing awareness, allyship and opportunity to its workforce . Its participation level — over 5,000 LGBTQ employees and allies — speaks to the company's commitment to supporting this community all year long.

"The goal of the ERG is to create an inclusive space for support and belonging, providing opportunities for career development and fostering partnerships across the company to support the business," says Brad Opsahl, VP and senior director of state operations, and co-chair of Pride@Liberty. "We have a lot of programming and events that we engage in throughout the year, and we also spotlight the unique lived experiences of our LGBTQ community."?

Here are all the programs and benefits LGBTQ employees get through the group: Liberty Mutual's LGBTQ ERG celebrates 10 years of supporting inclusivity at work

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT: Increased politicization around diversity, paired with legal challenges and anti-DEI bills in state and federal courts, have led many employers to slink away from their corporate commitments to equity in the workplace. But the consequences have far-reaching implications on well-being at work, says Dr. Kathleen M. Pike , president and CEO of One Mind at Work .

"When members of a workforce don't feel like they belong or are not included based on their demographic characteristics or some unchangeable quality of who they are, that's often felt in mental health," she says. "They're more likely to be increasingly stressed, they're much more likely to be anxious in meetings, and that translates to depression, absenteeism, involuntary turnover and overall lower performance."?

Here's how to find the right balance between DEI and mental health: When employers back away from DEI, workplace mental health suffers

PARENTAL LEAVE POLICIES: The Pregnant Workers Family Act, or PWFA, has been finalized and went into effect this week, expanding protections to not just pregnant workers but those experiencing a host of related medical conditions, including infertility, lactation, miscarriage, abortion and menstruation. Any employer with more than 15 employees needs to accommodate affected workers, going as far as to eliminate any essential job functions that may harm them.?

An employer can only deny accommodations if they can prove it causes them "undue hardship." But companies should avoid that excuse if at all possible and instead do their best to work with their employee towards a solution, underlines Melissa Losch , a labor and employment attorney at McGlinchey Stafford .

A lawyer breaks down everything employers need to know: The Pregnant Workers Family Act has been finalized — here's what employers should know