How to celebrate authenticity every day: a guide into LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace

This month’s focus, more than in any other month, is on celebrating the core authenticity of individuals. Thus, this month is all about Pride Month and what does it really represent. We’re tackling workplace social inclusion through facts and applied good practices maintaining our open-minded mentalities of 2021.

Disclaimer: this article upgrades your factual understanding of the topic, and makes you a better colleague through a 5-step guide.

Keep on reading to become the most inclusive version of your-colleague-self.

Twenty years ago, many people’s idea of a colleague was a person who worked in the same office as them. However, the work environment has changed drastically in the past few years, especially in the year of the pandemic. 

A Future Forum research conducted by Slack on 4700 workers revealed that the majority of them never want to go back to the old way of working. Only 12% want to return to full-time office work, and 72% want a hybrid remote-office model moving forward.

Almost all of our work is now based within our homes and the interactions with our colleagues transformed into online meetings through laptop screens. This means that today colleagues are more likely to come from different cities, countries, or continents. 

As this past year offered us the chance to work with people from all over the world, we also had the chance to come into contact with an increasingly diverse range of people, from different ethnicities, cultural backgrounds, religions, and sexual orientations. 

In this regard and in celebration of ‘Pride Month’ we have decided to express our support for the queer community and create a guideline for how employers can create a work environment that values diversity, equality, and social inclusion. 

LGBTQ+ Pride Month’ is currently celebrated each June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York. The Stonewall Uprising was the turning point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. The purpose of this honourary month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer individuals have had on history.

What’s the situation in Romania?

According to rferl.org, the Romanian Institute for Evaluation and Strategy conducted a survey in November-December 2018 which showed that homophobia is growing in the country with three-fourths of those polled saying they do not trust homosexuals, 59% saying they would not accept to have a gay relative, and 52% who would not want to befriend a homosexual person.

Until January 2002 homosexuality was considered an infraction that could result in one to five years of imprisonment.

At the moment there are no laws against homosexual citizens of Romania, aside from the laws that deny marriage equality (same-sex marriage and civil partnerships that were established in other countries are still not recognized by the Romanian law). 

In comparison to this, homosexuality was decriminalized in Italy in 1890. Denmark became the first country to recognize same-sex unions in 1989 and eleven years later, in 2001 the Netherlands became the first to legalize same-sex marriages. France legalized same-sex unions in 2013, followed by England and Wales in 2014, and Germany in 2017. As of 2021, same-sex marriages are legally performed and recognized in 29 countries.

What does it mean to be LGBTQ+ inclusive in the workplace?

There are still many actions to be taken until our society achieves true LGBTQ+ inclusion in the workplace. The best way to start the change is to try your best to make sure that your work environment is supportive with each coworker regardless of their gender, sexual orientation, or any other differentiation.

By talking about these issues and telling these stories that change the cultural conversation, companies can contribute to creating a world in which the LGBTQ+ community is respected, protected, and celebrated.

What are the business results of diversity and inclusion?

Diversity and inclusion do not only mean appreciating people by respecting the characteristics that make them unique and different. This principle has a major positive effect on business, regardless of size, the field of activity, or geographical position.

It goes without saying that diversity makes for a stronger workforce. When companies value and embrace their employees of different backgrounds and create an inclusive workplace for them, they will bear the fruits in creativity and innovation, improved employee performance, and more.

A diverse work environment represents a variety of ways in which business problems are approached. This can only lead to the growth of the company. It is simple: if people feel included, appreciated, and safe, this will lead to the overall development of the business.

Kazoo even reports that within a three-year time frame, inclusive workplaces are six times more likely to be innovative and have 2.3 times the cash flow per employee as opposed to non-inclusive workplaces.

What is more, according to a report conducted by MKOR regarding the Romanian Diversity Charter (Carta Diversității) 70% of the respondents believe that diversity and inclusion management has a direct impact on increasing work motivation and satisfaction. If the work environment is inclusive, pays attention to one’s needs, and aims to improve the quality of life, the mental and physical health of the employee will improve significantly (51% of the respondents).

What is the difference between diversity and inclusion?

Diversity in the workplace describes the variations that might appear in personal, physical, and social characteristics. This could be gender, age, ethnicity, and education.

On the other hand, inclusion refers to how organizations implement their procedures to integrate everyone in the workplace and ensure that they allow their differences to coexist in a way that is beneficial to both parties.

To better understand these two concepts, think about diversity as a concept that brings different people in the same place and is globally accepted. On the flip side, inclusion encapsulates concrete strategies to make diversity work.

Now that we understood better what differentiates diversity from inclusion, it is time to find out the five steps to ensuring an inclusive workspace.

How can you ensure that you have an inclusive workplace?

1.Advocate for your employees

The first step is to start cultivating a work environment in which your LGBTQ+ employees feel safe, respected, and most importantly valued. Promote a safe environment in which your employees are encouraged to ask questions, learn and grow.

Hire people who promote equality in practice and not just in theory.

Derogatory jokes and comments should not be tolerated as they might hurt someone’s feelings. Even if not intentional, such comments could be hurtful without you even knowing. Always pay attention to your coworker’s feelings. 

Start by asking for feedback on ways to improve your strategies so that you can ensure that your employees are always feeling supported and safe at work.

After that, you can implement specific policies that outline your company’s position on LGBTQ+ rights. According to Catalyst, 91% of Fortune 500 companies now have nondiscrimination policies that include sexual orientation, and 83% include gender identity. 

2.Connect with your employees

If one of your aims is to have an inclusive workplace, you need to lead by example. 

Let’s start by doing an imaginative exercise. Think about the relationships you have with your employees at the moment. Do you think the interactions you have with your team members are making them feel comfortable? Do you think they feel they can be open with you?

After thinking it through and answering these questions, you should start by reflecting on your next steps. 

One simple thing you can do is to make an active effort to connect with your employees in an authentic way and on a personal level. You shouldn’t make assumptions about their lifestyles, but rather, you should allow them to open up to you.

What you have to keep in mind is that this attitude might lead to some more complex and sensitive conversation but you shouldn’t let this discourage you. Unfortunately, not everybody will be on board with this inclusive mindset. It is crucial to be well prepared and well informed for these conversations. 

3.Speak up for the things that matter

It goes without saying that you need to be vocal about the importance of inclusion in your office.

By taking a stand on certain issues that matter in the LGBTQ+ community, companies can not only influence events but also help their employees. Keep your finger on the pulse of these issues and speak up.

You can also show new employees how important it is to accept others and be open and supportive of the things that make them unique by adding inclusion as one of your company’s core values. 

Ask your employees for suggestions and feedback as these new perspectives might help you fill in a blank that you’ve missed.

Moreover, you have to know what to do when a coworker, client, partner, or manager judges or excludes someone and you have to be ready to stand by your beliefs, in the case of somebody trying to challenge them.

4.Keep your mind open

Just as important as being connected to your team, it is being open-minded.

You need to put your assumptions and your biases to the side. It might be difficult at first, as we all tend to have them but we have to ditch them as they might make other people feel uncomfortable.

Don’t worry, even though you’ve never had the chance to work in an environment that is diverse and inclusive, investing time and being open to new experiences can help you have a better understanding of what the most suitable approach would be.

Be open to hearing other people’s opinions and be willing to change, as this is your way to success.

5.Listen and adapt to change

The LGBTQ+ battle for equality will probably still continue in the years to come. That is why your policies and practices need to change with time. To be an effective ally, you need to constantly update your programs. 

The best way to do that is by listening to your LGBTQ+ employees. You need to find what matters to them and what works and doesn’t work in terms of policies, communication, training, and interaction with coworkers. 

Your employees are the ones who directly experience your company’s culture each day. They understand best what tweaks and improvements can be made.

Listen to them, change and update your policies when necessary.

Diversity in any company can lead to better teams, more efficient decision-making strategies, and greater innovation. However, inclusion is what connects the people with the organization and makes them want to stay.

Start making efforts to ensure your team members feel heard and understood. Once your employees will realize the efforts you're making towards celebrating and valuing every single one of them, they will be determined to put in their best work.

If businesses are to grow and thrive now and in the future, it’s imperative to elevate the voices of each and every single one of their employees and eliminate institutional barriers to success. 

Commit to being part of the movement, not just the moment.