Rainbow logos doesn’t always translate into the real workplace experiences of LGBTQ+
Nicolas BEHBAHANI
Global People Analytics & HR Data Leader - People & Culture | Strategical People Analytics Design
?? Many?companies will change their logos to rainbows ?? for Pride this month, but they need also to take workplace actions for foster inclusivity for their LGBTQ+ employees. Indeed some new stats published are quite disturbing: Nearly half of employed LGBTQ+ Americans say they believe being “out” at work could hurt their careers?and over half have experienced or witnessed anti-LGBTQ+ comments by co-workers, according to a new research published by Glassdoor conducted surveys by The Harris Poll - using data from 6,179 employed US adults ages 18 and older from May 2-11 2023.
These stats provide a peek into some of the pervasive, day-to-day challenges for LGBTQ+ employees at work, but there are many tools and resources to help lessen them.
?Career Progression of LGBTQ+ Employees
Glassdoor researchers found that 45% of employed LGBTQ+ Americans say they believe being “out” at work could hurt their careers?(e.g., losing a job, not getting a promotion, not being selected for a project).
Another interesting research published by 麦肯锡 in 2020, found that LGBTQ+ women believe that their sexual orientation will negatively affect their career advancement at work.
LGBTQ+ women are also more likely to report that their gender has played a role in missing out on a raise, promotion, or a chance to get ahead. Despite these challenges, LGBTQ+ employees are just as likely as their straight counterparts to aspire to be top executives
Researchers also found that 55% of LGBTQ+ employees report they have experienced or witnessed anti-LGBTQ+ comments by co-workers.
?Actions for foster inclusivity for LGBTQ+ employee
Researchers believed that creating LGBTQ+ employee resource groups, educational programming, and sharing preferred pronouns are just a few ways inclusive companies support their LGBTQ+ workers.
?By joining internal employee resource groups or participating in LGBT fundraisers or philanthropic endeavors, they were able to mingle with senior leaders they might otherwise never have met and leverage those relationships.
Researchers advise some DO for building a safe space for LGBTQ+ people at work:
??Set boundaries and ground rules.?Decide what is and isn’t allowed and share these guidelines with all members. If behavior falls outside of the rules, take quick action,?including ejecting someone from the group and reporting poor behavior to management, if necessary.
?? Decide on confidentiality.?Set expectations for how much of what is said in the group stays in the group.?Moderators should also decide if and how to handle any potentially dangerous behavior or comments such as harassment, threats, or discussion of self-harm.
?? Share with caution.?Safe spaces can feel like an important haven where you can unearth and share a lot of personal challenges. Remember, however, that electronic communication tools ultimately belong to the employer, and people should consider what they say online.
?? Listen.?Listening to members of the community and respecting what they say is one of the most important aspects of a safe space. It should be a place where all members feel they have a voice, if they want to share their thoughts.
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?? Keep it fluid.?The group will continue to change and adjust depending on who’s there and what’s happening. People with different viewpoints can still work together to build on progress.
??Fundraise.?Support issues or organizations doing work that’s important to LGBTQ+ people. Ask your company or organization to match donations.
?Find ratings for DEI Metrics
Glassdoor provides employee ratings broken out by Sexual Orientation, Race/Ethnicity, Gender, and more for each company.
This study also noticed that US companies where LGBTQ+ employees rated the company 4.0 and higher on average are employers like?Discover,? HubSpot , and? 强生公司 ?appear
?? Researchers concluded that this study shows that the employee experience for LGBTQ+ workers is still far from perfect.
Creating LGBTQ+ employee resource groups, educational programming, and sharing preferred pronouns are just a few ways inclusive companies support their LGBTQ+ workers.
?By joining internal employee resource groups or participating in LGBT fundraisers or philanthropic endeavors, they were able to mingle with senior leaders they might otherwise never have met and leverage those relationships.
Glassdoor researchers advice job seekers to leverage the resources above in job search to find a workplace that fosters inclusive and supportive working environments where workers can be themselves.
Thank you ??? Glassdoor ?researchers team for these insightful findings:
Business-Savvy HR Professional | ACLP | ACTA | Passionate People Developer
1 年?? ... ... for me, whenever i have a cohort/ class to teach i am very Open to my students - the young & adults. And if anyone is uncomfortable with who and what i am, let me know. I did the same when am in a workforce however, i guess the sectors' mindset and openness play a part too? And i would say the individuals have to be responsible for their actions too. Unlike in the 80s/90s in Singapore, one tend to hide/ stay in the closet most of the time. how i hide my identity, it didn't worked for me; i remembered that am always been made fun of, being labelled and been 'played' either in school and in the army. i personally don't recall getting mentality hurt because of having the understanding of the Asian history/ culture. Similarly, to having body art, the older generation's mindset is/was that when one has them, he/she is/was categorized as gangsters/ hooligans and again is back to our history 1820. However, the DOs for building a safe space for LGBTQ+ people at the workforce is useful for me in my new HR Management role. Although, i have not seen them in any of my LOAs and/or HR P&Ps before or maybe in very fine prints, it would be an encourage practice - holistic approach across the People & Culture Process Areas.
Founder & CEO @ Lever Talent | Host of The Lever Show | Helping leaders develop talent strategies that leverage a tech-empowered future.
1 年Well said, Nicolas. What just happened with Target's "rainbow washing" shows that companies must take a genuine stand, make their intentions known, seek to bridge gaps, and make an inclusive environment continuously. Authenticity, consistency, and ongoing training and messaging are key to building trust and a safe space for LGBTQ, and other marginalized communities, in the fight for equality. ??
Speaker, Author, Professor, Thought Partner on Human Capability (talent, leadership, organization, HR)
1 年Nicolas BEHBAHANI important research to ensure that all people are treated with both equality and equity. As George Kemish LLM MCMI MIC points out, there are many ways to categorize people: Age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex, sexual orientation. Avoiding bias and these labels is so important. Everyone is equal and should be treated with respect and fairness. I was in a class recently where the presenter thoughtfully asked, "how many of you have felt "excluded" for some personal characteristics or trait" Everyone (including me) raised their hand. Recognizing and overcoming these biases is an important part of leadership and organization values and actions.
Lead consultant in HR Strategy & Value Management. Enhancing Value through Human Performance. Delivery of Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Training. Lecturer and International Speaker on HRM and Value Management.
1 年It was a case of discrimination against an LGBTQ+ employee, brought before the Employment Tribunal in the UK, that highlighted the need to improve the quality of EDI Policy and Training. The employment judge also made it clear that the Employment Tribunal will take into consideration the frequency of EDI Training when looking at cases of discrimination and harassment when cases are brought before the Tribunal. This of course relates to cases brought for discrimination and harassment against anyone who has a 'protected characteristic' listed in the Equality Act 2010. The protected characteristics are: Age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion and belief, sex, sexual orientation. This is why, as I have highlighted in previous comments, on your posts Nicolas, that almost half of employers in the UK do not even have an EDI policy. It could be extremely costly for them. Thank you for sharing this post Nicolas - again your post is timely given the fact that the failure of many employers to put in place an EDI Policy, covering all protected characteristics, needs addressing.