When we talk about gays and lesbians in the workplace, more often than not, the first thing that springs to minds is that we’re going to talk about sex and that it has no place in the workplace. We agree. But we’re not talking about that. We’re talking about employees feeling comfortable enough to do the simple things that so many of us simply take for granted.
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Putting a picture of their significant other on their desk.
Answering honestly when asked what they did on their vacations and who they went with.
Being able to say: Yes, I’m married too!
Spreading the news that their family is having a baby or bringing their child to work.
And so many more…
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These are all part of the social interactions in the workplace that help build trust, camaraderie and teamwork. All too often though, LGBT employees feel forced to edit or conceal the truth, make up stories and basically hide things from co-workers. This takes a lot of energy… energy that could be put towards new ideas and improving processes and procedures at work. Ideas that could make your company more efficient and help it grow.
The reality is that LGBT inclusion isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s the smart thing.
Recent surveys have found that on average, 25%-30% of major corporations’ LGBT employees refuse to be “out” at work even though they’re “out” everywhere else because of fear of repercussions, lost opportunities and being passed over for promotion. Our consultants have worked with a wide range of corporations and organizations to help make them more LGBT inclusive and we can help you do better too. |
