LGBT+ inclusion has positive impact on workplace

Many companies in Switzerland and other developed countries give high priority to the inclusion of queer employees - and this has an overall positive impact on the workplace. This is according to a study by Deloitte entitled "LGBT+ Inclusion@Work". It surveyed 600 people in the LGBT+ community from 12 countries. No one from Switzerland was surveyed, but the situation is comparable.

Visible support important

The study provides a snapshot of the lived experiences of LGBT+ employees. More than 70 percent of them are more likely to stay in their current employment because their organization takes an active approach to LGBT+ inclusion, according to the survey. This is all the more significant in light of the current severe shortage of skilled workers, according to the study authors.

Respondents cited visible support from other employees (so-called "LGBT+ allies") and promoting internal networking and visibility as important prerequisites for an inclusive culture. Despite these efforts, 42 percent of all respondents reported experiencing non-inclusive behaviors and discrimination in the workplace.

Safe outing must be possible

"Many companies around the world have taken steps in recent years to improve LGBT+ acceptance and increase mutual tolerance. And the queer community appreciates this as well. The efforts should be integrated and strategically supported in the general efforts for diversity, equal treatment and inclusion," explains Liza Engel, Chief People Officer at Deloitte Switzerland. "However, companies globally and in Switzerland need to do much more to fully embed LGBT+ in their everyday culture. They need to go beyond individual programs to create a truly respectful culture where non-inclusive behavior is not tolerated. All employees must be able to safely come out in the workplace."

Around 80 percent of respondents in the survey said that their company has introduced measures and initiatives for LGBT+ inclusion. Ninety-five percent of them believe that this has led to meaningful support for LGBT+ employees in their respective companies. The vast majority (93%) of respondents working at global companies (55%) believe that company-level communication and LGBT+ inclusion measures also empower LGBT+ in their home countries.

Discrimination against LGBT+ still takes place

As noted above, more than two-fifths of respondents still experience discrimination in the workplace. Unwanted sexual remarks or jokes (33%), hurtful comments about gender identity (25%) or appearance (23%), and unwanted physical contact (21%) are among the most frequently cited discriminatory behaviors. Of those affected, nearly three-quarters reported their experiences to the company, and six in ten were satisfied with the response.

Many still choose not to share their sexual orientation or gender identity with the majority of their colleagues. One in five people (19%) do not talk about their sexual orientation with anyone at work, while one third (34%) at least discuss it with their closest environment.

Three central elements for inclusive culture

For LGBT+ organizations to be sustainably inclusive, leaders must focus on three critical elements, according to one conclusion from the study: Making sure all employees feel they are doing their best at work; creating an environment where non-inclusive behavior is not tolerated by anyone; and promoting and communicating visible support. Those who implement this consistently may, after successfully passing an assessment, be awarded a label by the Swiss LGBTI Working Group. The label is awarded to companies and organizations that, in a "holistic management of diversity & inclusion, have anchored the diversity dimensions of sexual orientation, gender identity and gender characteristics in their organizational culture through systematic measures and live openness and inclusion in their daily practice." Deloitte, which conducted the study mentioned here, also recently received this label.

Source: Deloitte