Why an LGBTQIA friendly company can and will have more ROI

An inclusive environment helps employees to perform at their bests

Assuming that LGBTQIA staff does not want or need the exact same than any other of your employees can cost you millions. Integrating your LGBTQIA employees in your teams and making sure they have a happy and comfortable stay in your company will help not only them but also yourself and your company to make the best of every day and situation.

LGBTQIA have been part of our societies since the beginning of time. Nature has variations and humans are part of nature, ergo there are many more kinds of humans than just masculine males and feminine females that feel attracted to each other.

Embracing diversity within your company will increase creativity and productivity ans applying the proper conduct policies will help your staff feel safe and happy working for you.

Data collection and monitoring can give your organisation a better insight into work practises and policies, especially those regarding to LGBTQIA staff.

Due to global differences in LGBTQIA law and protection, it is recommended practise for companies and corporations to keep their data safe and private. It will help achieve better results on surveys as well as increase the bond between employee and company.

If your company creates policies that cover all of your employees, your all-over level of happines at work will definitely increase. When you include those that are part of LGBTQIA communities, independently of the country legal status towards this matter, worldwide reputation increases (and you and your company become part of a social change).

LGBTQIA surveys can be offered anonymously, as well as an international line or forum for employees to share concerns or problems at work.

When a company or corporation implements international guidelines it can be extremely benefitial for many LGBTQIA people that would not find their partners recognised on an insurance policy otherwise, for example.

Different kinds of LGBTQIA support your company can offer

• Maternity and paternity leave.
• Adoption leave.
• Partner insurance coverage (whether or not legally married).
• Transition coverage. Make sure that your health insurance covers (fully or partially) hormone treatments and/or sex reassignment operations.
• Transition coaches and programs. Offer your transgender employees the possibility to join a transition coaching program.
• Ungendered toilets. Make sure all toilets are individual cubicles, do not gender them.
• Anti-harassment policies. Make sure any LGBTQIA harassment is treated like any other kind of harassment. If you wouldn’t let your employees be racist, don’t let them be homophobic!

Teaching your employees about LGBTQIA rights will not only improve the quality of life of all your employees but will also improve your customers’ experience.

If all the staff at every management level knows how to address a transitioning colleague, they will easily be able to handle any transgender or non-binary customer by knowing to not assume a gender and to always ask.

Integrating a transition at work policy will improve your employees’ knowledge in gender matters and will level up the respect of most employees towards every gender under the gender spectrum which reduces significantly bullying and harassment at work.

‘It is important to start using service user’s names instead of sir and madam’

Ways staff can address colleagues and customers without assuming a gender:

• By name. “Joh believes…”, “Susana said…”, “Good day, my name is Marta. How would you like me to address to you and how can I help today?”
• By ‘you’. “What would you do?”, “what’s your favourite?”, “what do you think?”
• Asking. Employees can politely ask the preferred pronoun to each person. If an employee asks “Sir, madam, milady?” to each one of the customers, 99% won’t be offended (though most will be surprised at the beginning).

A study carried by professor Oswald, Dr. Sgroi and Dr. Proto in 2014 at the University of Warwick showed that happy employees are 12% more productive.

“Companies like Google have invested more in employee support and employee satisfaction has risen as a result. For Google, it rose by 37%, they know what they are talking about. Under scientifically controlled conditions, making workers happier really pays off.” Said Professor Oswald.

“The driving force seems to be that happier workers use the time they have more effectively, increasing the pace at which they can work without sacrificing quality.” Added Dr. Sgroi.

Positive leadership keeps the whole organisation cohesive and engaged, and all members of the staff will work together towards company success.

According to Harvard Business Review 2016, when a company has a happy and supportive environment, productivity increases a 31%, sales increase a 37% and creativity improves up to 3 times.

The environment has a strong impact on happiness and staff spends long hours in our companies. Making sure that our company offers a friendly, safe environment for employees and that the management line cares about everyone’s wellbeing will help increase overall ROI improving everyone’s performance.

Courses, speeches, and policies to help employees at each management line showing the company systems on how to interact with colleagues (peer to peer and leader to employee), anti-bullying and anti-harassment policies, transition at work policies, how to deal with negative customers policies… Can help employees take off the stress of figuring out the best way to deal with bad situations and also can be very helpful for victims to know that they have a whole line of support behind at the company if someone does not comply with the company guidelines.

Hiring lifestyle coaches to help your managers and leader develop new habits to increase their own happiness and improve other staff happiness can also be very beneficial. Company getaways will help increase teamwork cohesion plus, who does not want to be on the list of best places to work in the world?

Many global organisations have clear statements of their values to help ensure their workplaces follow the same values worldwide. That helps employees, LGBTQIA included, know they’ll be safe and secure anywhere in the world, free of discrimination and that they’ll be treated equally, with dignity and respect.

Embracing diversity in the workplace leads to more efficient, collaborative and creative environments. Providing equal treatment gives corporations reputation. Specially when protecting and supporting employees in discriminatory countries.

It is crucial to assess the situation for LGBTQIA people on a country-to-country basis and adapt the company inclusion policies accordingly.