Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Equality, diversity and inclusionGenderLatest NewsLGBTSexual orientation

Three steps to becoming LGBTQ+ inclusive all year round

by Lynne Hardman 8 Jun 2021
by Lynne Hardman 8 Jun 2021 Shutterstock
Shutterstock

With Pride Month in full swing, Lynne Hardman shares three ways organisations can ensure support for the LGBTQ+ community all year round.

LGBTQ+ inclusivity

One in four LGBT staff hiding their gender identity or sexual orientation

Stonewall’s diversity scheme accused of being unlawful

CPD: supporting transgender people in work

Pride Month is here and we should all take the opportunity to celebrate and acknowledge those who  take the lead in LGBTQ+ activism.

While many companies will be changing their logos to incorporate the rainbow flag as a symbol of solidarity, support for the LGBTQ+ community should extend far beyond this. It is employers’ responsibility to empower this often underrepresented group year-round, not just for the month of June.

According to Amnesty International, transgender people can face up to 50 to 60 instances of micro-aggression, or casual discrimination, a day. Some of that will be happening in the workplace.

More support for the community is still needed. There is a world of difference between changing colours on the website and creating a culture where everyone feels safe and has an equal opportunity to succeed.

Here are three ways organisations can actively show support for the LGBTQ+ community and prevent Pride Month from becoming a box-ticking exercise.

1. Assume nothing and demonstrate support

Using inclusive language and putting pronouns in our bio and email signatures is a simply way to promote inclusivity.

Do not make assumptions. For example, rather than asking how somebody met their husband/wife, “how did you meet your partner?” is a more inclusive question and does not make assumptions about their sexuality. But proceed with respect: first, ask yourself how you would feel if someone asked you that question.

We can also think about how we signal to people that our workplaces are places of acceptance all year round, not only during Pride Month. For example, adding Pride memorabilia such as trans flag mugs or stickers to shared spaces can show that the office is a welcoming and safe space.

2. Ensure mission statements and policies are updated

Employers must have a clear mission statement outlining their support with measurable outcomes that hold the company accountable.

Policies should be updated so they are inclusive of LGBTQ+ employees, ensuring that they align with the UN standards of conduct. Communicating detail on updated policies, expectations and consequences for not adhering to them is also critical.

All employees need to understand what discrimination and bullying look like. Unfortunately, according to the TUC, seven out of 10 LGBT workers have experienced at least one type of sexual harassment at work, with two-thirds of those harassed not reporting it. To change this, we need to make sticking up for a co-worker and reporting inappropriate behaviour “business as usual”.

3. Proactively include the LGBTQ+ community in wellbeing and coaching programmes

Organisations should incorporate awareness and assistance of the LGBTQ+ community in their wellbeing and coaching programmes.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, LGB adults are more than twice as likely to experience mental health issues, and transgender people are nearly four times as likely. It is for this reason that mental health and wellbeing programmes must also be designed with LGBTQ+ employees in mind. For example, if an employee is transitioning, providing a mental health ambassador or a peer support programme can be of benefit.

The most progressive organisations recognise the value in embedding a coaching culture, which can also help address diversity challenges. Two specific areas include:

Coaching through the hiring process to ensure unconscious bias is managed, diversity is sought, and a progressive culture is maintained. Anglia Ruskin University has found LGBTQ+ applicants are 5% less likely to be offered a job interview than heterosexual applicants with comparable skills and experience. Everyone is terrific at hiring people “like us”. Recruitment teams and managers should be supported to look past the immediate culture fit that comes with hiring through traditional networking paths and to see the benefits of diversity and diverse views.

Everyone is terrific at hiring people ‘like us’. Recruitment teams and managers should be supported to look past the immediate culture fit that comes with hiring through traditional networking paths and to see the benefits of diversity and diverse views”

Personal coaching to help address the unique challenges LGBTQ+ team members face in their careers. According to McKinsey’s Women in the Workplace research, LGBTQ+ women are more underrepresented in business than women generally and face an increased sense of “onlyness”. Furthermore, many transgender employees face unique obstacles to their career progression and performance, and six LGBTQ+ men in 20 believe that their sexual orientation will negatively affect their career advancement at work. All of this doesn’t stop any LGBTQ+ employee from having work aspirations. Coaching focused on development and support ensures an individual can overcome barriers and achieve the goals they set for themselves.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Let us all celebrate the powerful symbol of Pride this month but know the onus of action and change falls on everyone all year round, not just when the company logo becomes a beautiful rainbow.

Diversity and inclusion opportunities on Personnel Today

Browse more Diversity and inclusion jobs

Lynne Hardman

Lynne Hardman is CEO at Working Transitions, an organisation that helps employers and staff manage change.

previous post
28% of employees would reduce salary for flexible working
next post
Workers’ rights watchdog to be launched

You may also like

Consultation launched after Supreme Court ‘sex’ ruling

20 May 2025

RCN warns Darlington NHS trust over single-sex spaces

16 May 2025

EHRC bows to pressure and extends gender consultation

15 May 2025

‘Unacceptable to question integrity’ of Supreme Court judgment

2 May 2025

Trans ex-judge to appeal Supreme Court biological sex...

29 Apr 2025

EHRC: Interim update on single-sex spaces draws criticism

28 Apr 2025

Opposition to Supreme Court sex ruling is ‘wishful...

22 Apr 2025

Union branch wants rights for polyamorous people

9 Apr 2025

Darlington nurses’ changing room case delayed to October

3 Apr 2025

University of Sussex attacks Kathleen Stock freedom of...

27 Mar 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+