Workplace Gender Identity Guidelines
Out and Equal Workplace Advocates is an LGBTQ nonprofit committed to creating safe workplaces for LGBTQ employees to be out about their sexual and gender identities. This is not always an easy or safe proposition given that, in 29 states, anti-discrimination laws don't include protection on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. In essence, someone can be fired for being gay in 29 states.
Fortunately, many major corporations have their own policies which protect their LGBTQ employees and provide them with equal treatment and opportunities. You can see a list of the U.S. companies (with 500+ employees) that are rated as "Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Employees" in the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index.
Through the work of nonprofit organizations like Out and Equal and companies like The Equality Institute, workplaces are becoming safer for all employees. For example, Out and Equal created a guidebook on transgender issues full of suggested human resources policies and other considerations to ensure that trans employees feel safe. You can download that guidebook here.
One consideration for your transgender employees is restroom access. Adhering to these guidelines specifically on best practices in restroom access for transgender employees can ensure all employees are valued, leaving your entire team energized and inspired. Equal treatment is just good for business.
Demonstrating Inclusion (part 3)
In part three of our series on creating a culture of inclusion in your company, we bring some more tips on communication, collaboration and sharing of diverse experiences. Here are some more tips on empowering and inspiring your employees by modeling inclusion:
Collaborate with a diversity of people to manage the company who will bring unique perspectives, areas of knowledge, and sensitivity to different issues.
For company training, have diverse main speakers, workshop facilitators, and team members including attention to differences in academic and lived experience, geographic, socio-economic class, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, nationality, and ability, as well as race/ethnicity.
Clearly communicate consistently and throughout the company the significance of modeling the values of furthering inclusion and decentering whiteness. Examples of methods include: in pamphlets / company materials, press releases and talking points for the leaders of company.
Value different kinds of knowledge that is shared at the company to ensure complementary ways of knowing, such as academic study as well as lived experiences.
When talking about 'action,' present a holistic view of actions that include different realms and levels--the interpersonal, community, institutional, systemic--as a part of a whole system of change. Provide options for multiple ways of learning and engaging.
Consider how HR language and processes are accessible and inviting to those who are new to the company and/or the field. Prioritize relationship building with current team members, as well as, to acknowledge new team members’ experience and knowledge they bring to the company.
Consider how to be responsive to people’s cultural and physical needs and overall well- being.
Adapted from Decentering Whiteness and Creating Inclusive and Equitable Conferences: A Tip Sheet, written by a multiracial, multinational working group of racial and social justice educators, organizers, scholars, researchers and activists: Natasha Aruliah, Sonali Sangeeta Balajee, Shakti Butler, Bill Calhoun, Diane Goodman, Sally Leiderman, Emily Morrison and Maggie Potapchuk. Dec. 2015
Demonstrating Inclusion (part 2)
Your team members are the ones on the front line interacting with your customers. Inspiring them, empowering them and making them feel valued is a critical first step towards excellent customer service. Here are some more tips on creating an inclusive, culturally sensitive workplace:
Create inclusive and equitable space for team members to process and address different responses to company policies.
Develop community norms. Seek to build in factors and conditions that promote equity, dialogue across differences, healing spaces, and critical thinking and reflection.
Integrate relational and trust-building participation strategies or activities where possible, to increase team members’ sense of emotional, spiritual, and physical well-being.
Seek to integrate art and music from a variety of different cultural backgrounds.
Ensure that all trainings and the ways they are framed reflect the leadership, interests, perspectives, and needs of people of color and other marginalized communities.
Adapted from Decentering Whiteness and Creating Inclusive and Equitable Conferences: A Tip Sheet, written by a multiracial, multinational working group of racial and social justice educators, organizers, scholars, researchers and activists: Natasha Aruliah, Sonali Sangeeta Balajee, Shakti Butler, Bill Calhoun, Diane Goodman, Sally Leiderman, Emily Morrison and Maggie Potapchuk. Dec. 2015
Demonstrating Inclusion (part 1)
Our goal in our racial sensitivity trainings is to address the norms, practices, content, and ways of being that reflect the values and ideology associated with white culture and white privilege. Many times, white people inadvertently marginalize the cultures, experiences and perspectives of people of color.
We work with companies to create processes, structures and practices that value relationships and relationship-building; engage the head, heart and spirit; respect the diversity of ways people develop and express knowledge; and provide a space for team members to be their full, authentic selves.
Here are some tips to get your company's HR processes in line (more tips will follow in subsequent posts):
Ensure company is responsible and accountable to the local community and larger social justice movements
Consider responsibility and accountability of company and its team members to the community
Check cultural and faith calendars to ensure that mandatory company events do not conflict with important holidays or dates.
Model justice practices in how company funds are spent, how much company workers are paid and which vendors are used (using diverse suppliers whenever possible).
Consider ways to engage team members in the local community though volunteer efforts.
Adapted from Decentering Whiteness and Creating Inclusive and Equitable Conferences: A Tip Sheet , written by a multiracial, multinational working group of racial and social justice educators, organizers, scholars, researchers and activists: Natasha Aruliah, Sonali Sangeeta Balajee, Shakti Butler, Bill Calhoun, Diane Goodman, Sally Leiderman, Emily Morrison and Maggie Potapchuk. Dec. 2015
Managing Bias
Many times, team members find themselves in situations they would never expect and were never trained for. I've spoken to managers who have been approached by guests expressing frustration at the diverse clientele in a hotel. For example, I trained a sales manager who struggled with how to respond to a guest complaining about a drag queen convention at a hotel. I've personally experienced guests at same-sex weddings come up to my team to vent and discuss their conflicted feelings about being present. Is your team prepared to respond to such bias?
How is your team prepared to respond if they see a racially motivated conflict between hotel guests?
Is your team prepared to comfortably interact with a guest whose gender is nonconforming?
I've trained directors who want to be prepared to answer questions from LGBTQ clients about how to ensure safety during a ceremony in a public area (such as a beach). Can you answer this question?
The good news is that our team is skilled in facilitating trainings to empower your team to manage these situations. Our interactive trainings with ample role plays and mock scenarios ensure that each team member has the space to keep it real and ask questions. We are not afraid to create discomfort because we know that's where the truth is, and when we uncover truths, we can create change and empower everyone. That's our goal.