Top Tips on Creating a Welcoming Workplace Where Employees Will Feel Comfortable Coming Out
Business
We asked members of Enterprise’s LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group 'EnterPride' to share their top tips on what a workplace can do to create a welcoming environment where employees will feel comfortable coming out. Here’s what they told us:
Take an authentic and balanced view
Visibility is key. If LGBTQ+ people see other employees spotlighted and celebrated, it is a tremendous boost to their confidence to come out at work. It’s essential that we talk about coming out and provide opportunities for employees to tell their stories, if they wish to share.
That said, remember to take a balanced view; it’s important that these stories are authentic to allow others to find someone to identify with. Sometimes when people share their story it can be built up as something huge, something that involves everyone, and culminates with how the individual’s life changed. And while that is the case for some, for many, while it makes their life significantly better, their life doesn't entirely change and that can also be a good thing.
Create the right culture and environment
Everyone must contribute to building a safe and inclusive work environment. Educating your workforce on all aspects of diversity, equity and inclusion is essential, all the while encouraging everyone to be accepting, welcoming and open-minded.
Examples include encouraging employees to help organize and attend LGBTQ+ focused events. This helps people outside of the community to understand how to be better allies, and people in the community to understand that their workplace is a safe environment to be their authentic selves.
Our employees decorate their offices with pride flags and bunting for LGBT History Month in February and often leave the decorations up for Pride over the summer. One colleague shared that, due to this, they felt comfortable to come out at work, and at the time not even their family were aware. Making your environment welcoming with visible signs of celebrating LGBTQ+ and diversity, can often be extremely important.
Review your policies and benefits
Having inclusive policies and benefits ensures that all employees know the support available to them as well as providing clear guidance on how the organisation protects and supports the wellbeing of their workforce.
Participating in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index is a great way to benchmark what you are currently doing and a way to gain personalised feedback on areas of opportunity.
Speak up
Use appropriate language in the office, identify and address any comments and behaviours that could be interpreted as microaggressions or that are homophobic, biphobic or transphobic.
Make inclusion part of your dialogue when talking to employees, during development meetings, over your water-cooler conversations. Normalise the inclusion of pronouns, make it a standard part of conversation. Change your virtual backgrounds in support of LGBTQ+ events that happen throughout the year. Wear your Pride lanyard, pronoun badges and speak about their significance to others.
Communication through internal channels of benefits, Employee Resource Groups, events and activities that support and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and workforce demonstrates an organisational commitment to DE&I that will help individuals feel confident in coming out at work and thriving in a supportive, inclusive environment.
Spread your Employee Resource Group’s message
Make sure employees know there is an Employee Resource Group that they can be part of and be sure that it is an open and safe space to both contribute and actively listen.
Share objectives, initiatives and resources from your employee resource group with all employees, and vary how you share content, book clubs, podcasts, lunch and learn opportunities, blogs… the list goes on.
Make it easy for other employees to get involved and ask team members to contribute, so everyone has a voice.
Role Models
It’s important to have visible LGBTQ+ role models at all levels of the business.
Also introduce identity-reps to engage with additionally marginalized LGBTQ+ groups. Spotlight employees that are available to mentor others, and encourage reverse mentoring.
Be mindful and recognize that one size does not fit all
Don’t rush anyone. Let it happen naturally.
When speaking to colleagues don't make assumptions about their gender identity or sexuality. Make the conversations more open by using terms such as 'spouse or partner' so that the person doesn't feel they have to hide elements of their personal life if they do not want to.
If someone chooses to come out, respect that it's up to them what they want to share. Don't ask a lot of questions.
Article contributors: Jon Thompson, Radoslaw Kasprzycki, Georgie Crockford, Bruce Arell, Tamsin Wallace, Natalie Downing, Ashley Hever and Samantha Meredith.
Enterprise are committed to providing every employee with an inclusive workplace that offers the respect, training and opportunities to succeed – join them.
