A new partnership for LGBTI equality

For many CEOs, LGBTI inclusion is a core value, part of their commitment to equality and human rights. But it has also become a business imperative. This is because when you have a culture of equality, where everyone feels they can be their authentic selves, it creates trust, innovation and business growth.

There have been a range of studies that demonstrate the positive business impact of LGBTI inclusion. Companies that foster LGBTI equality and inclusion have significantly higher levels of innovation and creativity, and organizations where LGBTI discrimination is present have higher employee turnover rates and lower levels of productivity.

This issue has now become a permanent focus of the World Economic Forum, as highlighted in Davos this year. To help drive inclusion and advance global progress for equality and the social and economic inclusion for all LGBTI people, seven organizations including Accenture, formed the Partnership for Global LGBTI Equality. This partnership will work in collaboration with the World Economic Forum’s Centre for New Economy and Society to enlist CEOs to operationalize the UN LGBTI Standards.

This will help the CEOs who, beyond their pledges of trust and commitment, seek a strategic action plan to advance LGBTI inclusion when faced with barriers of culture and legal limitations. These CEOs require an approach that can be modified for different geographies, along with a unifying set of best practices standards to ensure its advancement, both externally and internally.

So what actions should CEOs take today? They should start with demonstrating support that is visible to both internal and external stakeholders. It could be as simple but as bold as signing up to the United Nations LGBTII Standards of Conduct. This statement of intent demonstrates the values that an organisation has. Leadership can use this step as a catalyst to start ‘showing up’, through active and open support of the LGBTI agenda.

Leadership also needs support mobilisation at the grass roots level in the company, by enabling and sponsoring LGBTI support networks across the organisation. These groups support staff and add a statement about the core values of the organisation, while offering a practical way to create a positive and lasting change. These networks are strong forces to help challenge discrimination.

Businesses should also ensure that benefits and rewards at the organisation do not consciously or subconsciously support discrimination. While all employment policies need to be LGBTI-friendly, organisations should provide the same level of support to LGBTI individuals as to all other staff, for example same-sex parental leave.

While these steps may sound daunting to some, the good news is that there are many organisations that have been established to specifically help businesses who are seeking to establish LGBTI inclusion. In addition, the WEF’s new partnership will lead to the creation of new benchmarks, tools and a unifying set of best practices that organizations can use to accelerate LGBTI equality and inclusion.

There are organisations today that are already operating in line with many of the best practices. Accenture research has revealed 40 workplace factors that create a culture of equality – including 14 cultural drivers that matter the most – where everyone thrives. Common themes among these factors are flexibility, openness and transparency.

However, there is still some way to go. In companies where these key factors are less common, LGBTI professionals are more likely to face discrimination, harassment or have been asked to change their appearance.

It is clear that in the face of a rising tide of less inclusive politics, business’s role in equality has never been more important. These tools from the WEF Partnership for Global LGBTI Equality can help CEOs navigate challenges that multinationals often face when it comes to advancing LGBTI equality, such as cultural barriers, mobility limitations and legal implications. This project now has a key role to play in securing LGBTI inclusion in the workplace.

I’m very excited about the progress we have made and hope you share this same excitement. As always, I’d love to hear from you on what you are doing within your organization to advance inclusion in the workplace.