LGBTQ+ Pride Month at Work

June is recognised internationally as LGBTQ+ Pride Month. This month is dedicated to acceptance and equality, and recognising the valuable work of LGBTQ+ individuals. It is also a time to reflect on progress made so far, and on what we can do to further assist LGBTQ+ people. You may wish to celebrate Pride Month in your workplace, however, you should also be trying to make your workplace an inclusive space for everyone all year round.

The first thing to be aware of is indirect discrimination, as described by the Equality Act 2010. This type of discrimination occurs when employees with certain “protected characteristics” are put at a disadvantage due to your policies or general way of working. Some of these protected characteristics are sexual orientation and gender reassignment, so ensuring that none of your processes excludes LGBTQ+ people is important. For example, you may not have any unisex toilet facilities in your workplace, which may leave transgender or non-binary employees unsure of which toilet they can use.

You should also be mindful of your language at work, as this is another way that you could be accidentally excluding an LGBTQ+ person. For example, if you’re allowing employees to bring their partners to work events, make sure you are never assuming that somebody is heterosexual. It is best to use a non-gendered term such as “partner” or “ spouse”, rather than “boyfriend/girlfriend” or “husband/wife”.

And finally, make sure that your staff are aware of your stance on LGBTQ+ employees, and what is expected of them, with diversity training and effective processes. Ensure that your staff know what to do if they feel victimised and are aware of what support is available for them.