LGBT: Progress and Problems in the Workplace, Part 2
By Robin Madell (San Francisco)
As part of The Glass Hammer’s coverage of Pride Month, we continue with Part 2 of a special series on obstacles that LGBT employees still face in the workplace. In this series, we consulted with diversity experts and human resources professionals who weighed in on issues that LGBT professionals identify as ongoing challenges at work—as well as suggested strategies that companies should consider for improvement, and opportunities for change.
Challenge: Lack of education beyond the corporate office. While many organizations tout their policies and benefits for LGBT employees from corporate headquarters, there is a lack of education and information provided to people in the field (offices located outside of the main branches), according to diversity and inclusion consultant Simma Lieberman. “Uninformed and biased employees create uncomfortable work environments for LGBT people,” says Lieberman. “I’ve worked with several organizations where this was the case, and LGBT people would not only stay closeted, they didn’t feel safe speaking up when they heard offensive comments.”
A related issue is the “global challenge,” according to Stan C. Kimer, who now specializes in diversity management issues after a 31-year career at IBM. Kimer notes that with the explosion of Internet technology and the globalization of sales efforts and supply chains, many corporate departments now consist of virtual teams with members from countries around the world. “These countries can be completely all over the place in LGBT equality, from total acceptance and integration of LGBT people to placing LGBT people in prison!” says Kimer. “This could have a major impact on LGBT employees living in the oppressive countries or LGBT people who may accept a foreign job assignment.”
Strategy for change: Extend the reach of corporate educational programs. Lieberman suggests creating opportunities to dialogue and have meaningful interaction with LGBT people that go beyond the corporate office. “Make sure to include transgender people in the conversation,” says Lieberman.
Liliana Perez, who is an openly bisexual commissioner on the Los Angeles City Commission on the Status of Women, expands on this idea, pointing out the need for a more uniformly supportive atmosphere where diversity equates to talent investment. “Just like all Americans, LGBT employees seek workplace environments that provide a fair and comfortable playing field where everyone can soar,” says Perez. “Through the development of diversity programs that focus on recruiting the best and the brightest, companies will attract talented people who will professionally blossom because they know that management values their contributions. All employees must be educated on the LGBT community, thereby minimizing the probability of offensive and/or discriminatory behavior.”
Kimer suggests that to make LGBT equality programs truly global, companies should implement a global diversity policy that includes sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, noting that his former company IBM instituted such a policy back in 2002. “Have stateside and European company LGBT employee resource groups serve as ‘sister/brother mentors’ to groups in less open countries and regions like India, China, Singapore, and Africa,” says Kimer.
“If you have a corporate LGBT employee leadership conference, be sure people from outside the US are included. Global companies can provide a leadership role in promoting full acceptance of all people, including LGBT people, around the globe.”
Challenge: People in the organization don’t know how to behave toward LGBT people, so they ignore them. As an example, Lieberman provides the following: “Someone assumes that because a person is a lesbian they wouldn’t be comfortable going out after work to a ‘straight’ bar or restaurant so they don’t invite them, but that is where the informal networking takes place, and where decisions are actually made.”
Strategy for change: Create opportunities for people to dialogue and ask questions. “Educate them on the fact that although someone is LGBT, their ‘lifestyle’ may be no different in terms of wanting to do their best work, care for their families, pay their mortgage or rent, and be safe,” says Lieberman.
Challenge: Lack of accountability process. Though some members of senior management may feel that they’ve done their due diligence by simply being able to offer domestic partner programs and other benefits through their company, Lieberman notes that many companies have no formal accountability process in place to ensure that all managers are committed to creating the right culture of acceptance. Therefore, some managers may fail to pass along the right message to their employees, or may fail to consistently demonstrate inclusive behavior when they find out that a member of the team is LGBT.
Strategy for change: Clarify the message. Lieberman suggests creating a process where people at each level are held accountable for the information they pass on when it comes to creating an inclusive culture. “Ensure that the people receiving the information understand it, buy into it, and that they in turn pass on the right message,” says Lieberman.
Perez agrees that it’s important to create a clearer pathway to equal training resources, leadership development, and management opportunities for LGBT employees. “While we’d like to think that America’s boardrooms are full of open-minded professionals, the LGBT community needs additional resources to ensure that employees have equal access to advancement,” says Perez. “If companies create supportive environments where LGBT staffers know they have a shot just like everyone else, then employees will most likely exhibit incredible loyalty and a commitment to helping the company advance.”