What happens to the pride flags in workplaces when July hits? Do they go to dump yards, or are they kept safely inside the closet to be respected in the next year, or do they just disappear and no LGBTQIA+ employee quite understands where? These questions are hard-hitting yet not novel. Workplaces and June, the globally accepted Pride Month, share a mysterious relationship. In a study conducted by McKinsey & Co, it was found that “nearly one-third of surveyed LGBTQ+ employees reported experiencing a microaggression, such as being interrupted or talked over, at the workplace.” It has also been established that although companies increase their media and outreach engagement during Pride Month, employees consistently feel excluded and isolated at workplaces throughout the year. The exclusion for individuals varies* depending on their intersectionality, but discriminatory practices in the workplace prove it difficult for most LGBTQIA+ employees to sustain. LGBTQIA+ employees are forced to quit their jobs more often than their cisgender heterosexual colleagues on account of workplace misconduct and discriminatory environment.
*For example, transgender Dalit women in India experience different kinds of discrimination than cisgender upper-caste gay men
Companies, Organisations, and Pride Month
In June 1969, in Greenwich Village in the United States, an uprising took place to strive for the civil rights of the LGBTQIA+ community, historically known as the Stonewall Riots. It was led by a group of people including Marsha P. Johnson, a Black trans woman who was celebrating their birthday in the Stonewall Inn. June is honoured as Pride Month to commemorate Stonewall Riots and share gratitude for the LGBTQIA+ movement that aspires for the civil liberties of all irrespective of their gender, sexuality, religion, caste, race, ethnicity, and other intersectional identities.
Workplaces have inculcated the ritual of celebrating Pride Month ideally to establish safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ employees, raise awareness about the community, and show zero tolerance towards discrimination based on gender and/or sexuality. Currently, companies and organisations display their logo in Pride colour or publish statements of allyship in June. However, according to a survey by Glassdoor, “50% of LGBTQ+ employees believe being out at work could hurt their career”. Globally, companies and organisations invest in Pride Month outreach activities to strengthen their diversity, equity, and inclusion. Some companies conduct target hiring campaigns during this month to employ LGBTQIA+ workers. What companies miss out often is a retainment strategy and affirmative actions to build equitable workplaces. Thereby, driving employees to scout around for workplaces that can be navigated with better ease while not compromising their identity. According to Harvard Business Review, employees don’t quit jobs because of work pressure, in maximum cases, they quit because of repeated misconduct and discrimination at the workplace.
The Economic Cost of Excluding LGBTQIA+ People from Workplaces
The exclusion of LGBTQIA+ people starts early in school and college even before they join the workforce. Students are bullied on account of their gender identity, expression, and sexuality on a daily basis by both classmates and teachers. It not only affects a student’s learning outcome but creates a barrier to attaining education altogether. School and college dropout among LGBTQIA+ students results in a decrease in the number of formal career-ready people, consequentially, influencing the percentage of people in the workforce. According to Lee Badgett, a professor of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, “economies are diminished by homophobia and transphobia”. Badgett also stated that discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people takes away human capital that can be utilised for economic progress.
Credit: Causal pathways linking LGBT inclusion and economic development figure
A World Bank study from 2014 estimated that an economy of India’s size could lose up to $32 billion per year or 1.7% of that country’s gross domestic product (GDP) due to the social exclusion of LGBTIQIA+ people. Not investing in building LGBTQIA+ affirmative environment in workplaces cause:
Loss of productivity– When employees experience unfair treatment at the workplace, are consistently isolated, and face roadblocks in their professional journey, they spend their maximum energy to ‘fit-in’. At the same time when workplaces by default are welcoming towards their marginalised employees and actively make space for them to contribute, then employees are less consumed by discrimination and spend most of their productive hours and energy doing their work. Often employees deliver outstandingly when the workplace environment is conducive.
Increased attrition– Conditioned and learned behaviour of homophobia, transphobia, and a cisgender setting peek through people’s language, gestures, and treatment towards others at the workplace. Misgendering employees, not using correct pronouns, being judgemental of appearance and clothing, and constantly othering and picking on LGBTQIA+ employees contribute to more attrition than workload or work pressure. Attrition can be reduced by integrating sensitisation in the DNA of organisational culture.
Reduced talent pool– When companies filter out LGBTQIA+ applicants in the hiring process, they let go of eligible and talented candidates because of discriminatory social exclusion stemming from cultural practice. Additionally, companies avoid hiring LGBTQIA+ candidates because they feel that would cause cultural misalignment in the workplace. Companies can invest in diversity, equity, and inclusion to avoid business loss solely due to inherent prejudice.
Managerial misconduct– Managerial misconduct against marginalised employees can be emotional, verbal, and physical. Social dynamics and organisational hierarchy position employees in a managerial role at an (in)visible space of power. While functioning from this position of power, reporting managers often engage in microaggression and misconduct. Repeated incidents of managerial misconduct at the workplace induce to hostile and tense work environment not only for employees who experience it firsthand but also for others and affect workplace productivity.
Homogeneity of the workplace– Having employees from similar social backgrounds and experiences creates homogeneity in the workplace, therefore, hindering innovation and diversity in the organisational work. This is applicable to every sector in the formal work landscape.
10minus1 casually used sentences that are discriminatory against LGBTQIA+ employees:
- “Oh I did not know that you are gay”
- “But what were you born as?”
- “Does your family know?”
- “Your makeup/dress looks very flamboyant”
- “Why are you wearing nail polish, are you a girl?”
- “Your pronouns are very confusing, can I just address you traditionally?”
- “I am supportive of queer people but office policies can’t be changed”
- “We are progressive but we have to follow the code of conduct in office“
- “Let’s discuss your idea in Pride Month”
LGBTQIA+ Inclusion Toolkit for Workplaces
LGBTQIA+ exclusion in workplaces is a business case having grave economic impacts and that has been proved time and again. That said, organisations and companies can be cognizant and build an inclusive workplace culture. It is always better to lead by example like prevention is better than cure. It takes small steps and being mindful to build a workplace culture that can help employees be productive and thrive. The journey of an employee is not a one-way street, it is a mutual effort and employers can only benefit from acknowledging that.
Workplaces can include the following in organisational mandate to foster inclusivity:
Bias training: Unconscious and conditioned biases result in discrimination and poor organisational decision-making. Bias training is designed to help workplaces become more aware, recognise and manage their biases to smoothly navigate professional communication and relationships. Biases can stem from popular myths, learned behaviour, and cultural context. For example, inhibition against LGBTQIA+ colleagues and reducing them to minority status, thereby, invalidating their professional contribution.
Aggression checks: Workplace environment doesn’t accommodate an individual’s needs, it is based on what senior management decides is best for the rest. As an effect, it gives rise to an air of superiority among employees in supervising roles. Outbursts of anger and aggression are passed off as normal and acceptable. Unfortunately, there is a direct correlation between a case of resignation and a supervisor’s attitude towards a reportee employee. Displaying aggression check nudges in workplaces help people take a pause during heated moments and avoid misconduct.
Gender-responsive policies: Gender-responsive policies go beyond infrastructural development and must take into consideration that concepts of ‘power’ and ‘hierarchy’ are integral to incidents of workplace harassment. Having gender-responsive policy ensures that regressive gender norms are not influencing decision-making at any level in workplaces. It allows room for organisational development by catering to the unique needs of employees. For example, a binary system of dress codes for employees is a hindrance for many LGBTQIA+ professionals.
Sensitisation sessions: Periodic sensitisation sessions to build awareness among all staff about the LGBTQIA+ community enables the creation of a safe space for LGBTQIA+ employees. It ensures that people don’t carry their conditioned and learned prejudice into the workplace and contribute to an equitable workplace environment.
Visible allyship: Visible allyship makes LGBTQIA+ employees feel seen, heard, and valued. Using correct pronouns or asking before assuming, being respectful while addressing critical burning topics like same-sex marriage, and last yet not least displaying the pride flag all around the year in virtual or physical workspace are some of the signs of visible allyship. Organisations and companies can decide on their signs of visible allyship by consulting LGBTQIA+ employees.
Diverse hiring: Actively hiring candidates from the LGBTQIA+ community and supporting their progress in moving to senior leadership roles create a fair opportunity for organisations and companies to build diverse representation. This ensures that LGBTQIA+ employees are involved in decision-making. Ultimately making it easier for workplaces to nurture inclusivity in the workplace culture.
Allyship in workplaces is not reserved just for Pride Month. It is up to organisations and companies that they create space for the kind of growth they envision. Since workplaces are made up of people, it largely depends on how people feel and what they experience in workplaces. There are examples of workplaces that are not supportive but there are also those which strive for employee wellbeing. When nobody is doing what is better for the society and economy, there is always an option to lead by example. The bigger picture here is the success of organisations and companies. And that can be achieved by building spaces where employees are able to deliver their best. Organisations succeed when employees excel. Thus investing in widening the talent pool and being LGBTQIA+ inclusive are strategically good for organisations.