My Top Tips For Creating A Non-Binary Inclusive Workplace

Sam Sibilla, Vice President, Global Operations and LGBTQ+ Pride network committee member, shares his top tips to help organizations be more inclusive of their non-binary employees.

1. Educate yourself: look out for training on gender identity, non-binary identities, language and issues. Lots of companies offer diversity trainings and they are definitely worth joining;

2. Consider providing gender-neutral restrooms: they can create a safe and welcoming environment for non-binary employees and clients;

3. Allow for preferred names and pronouns: allow employees to use their preferred name and pronouns on all documents, email signatures, and name tags. Visibility is important and so is knowing how to address your peers;

4. Provide resources and support: partnering with LGBTQ+ advocacy groups to provide resources and support for your non-binary employees;

5. Encourage allyship: promote and encourage employees to be allies, supporting those who want to learn more about non-binary identities and providing them with the tools to be effective allies;

6. Finally, celebrate diversity: we should not just celebrate the LGBTQ+ population in June, we should promote a culture of acceptance and respect for all individuals in our workplace, regardless of their gender identity, all year round.

While it is important to note that there is still much work to be done in the banking industry and beyond to fully support and advocate for non-binary individuals, it is encouraging to see increasing numbers of companies committed to developing their gender identity policies and practices to be more inclusive of all individuals: from providing options for non-binary individuals in HR systems to allowing everyone  to use gender-neutral pronouns, for example.

I am proud to work for a company like Bank of America, which, apart from offering many other healthcare benefits, is one of the first companies in the UK to cover gender-affirming treatments.