Dafferns

Pride in the Workplace

June sees month-long pride celebrations taking place worldwide. The HR Dept sponsored Coventry Pride this year which was a huge success.

The colourful and vibrant festivities throughout pride month are led by LGBTQ communities. They encourage the celebration and acceptance of all sexual identities, especially those that may have been subject to prejudice or discrimination from mainstream society.

Whilst pride month is a wonderful and welcoming event, it also reminds us that discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people sadly still occurs. Such prejudice can be harmful to a person’s well-being and have a damaging effect on both their work and home life.

Pride celebrations do what they can to share the importance of diversity and inclusivity during June. But everyone can work together to ensure that acceptance is widespread and felt throughout the year.

In the workplace, employers can protect the safety and well-being of LGBTQ employees by being proactive with their processes and attitudes.

As an employer you have a legal and ethical responsibility to protect your employees from discrimination under the Equality Act. Cultivating a diverse and inclusive workplace can really make a difference to the day-to-day lives of your LGBTQ employees. It is fine to accept that you will not know all the answers as to how to achieve this right away. Encourage open conversations to understand what an inclusive workplace looks like to an LGBTQ employee.

How can we help?