The importance of acknowledging Pride every month

Pride month is a welcome reminder for employers to reflect on their DE&I strategies and assess how they can be improved. However, it’s crucial to keep the conversation alive all year round to ensure LGBTQ+ employees feel safe to be their authentic self in the workplace and have equal opportunities to progress their careers.

According to research by Stonewall, more than a third (35%) of LGBTQ+ employees have hidden their sexuality at work because they’re afraid of discrimination. As well as this, 18% of professionals have been the victim of negative comments or behaviour in the workplace due to their sexuality, while 17% have been excluded by colleagues for being LGBTQ+.

Statistics like these highlight that, although there have been many positive steps in the right direction, the LGBTQ+ community unfortunately still face discrimination over 50 years after the first Pride march in 1970.

Workplaces are still not guaranteed to be safe spaces away from prejudice, with the aforementioned research showing that LGBTQ+ employees may be subject to mistreatment, abuse, exclusion, inequity, and more. Therefore, it’s imperative that organisations are not only supporting Pride Month, but are doing more all year round, to put an end to discrimination and inequity.

We’re on the right track – but there’s more to be done

In the workplace specifically, a new law came into force in the UK in 2003 that bans discrimination and harassment of employees because of their sexual orientation. The law addresses the hiring process, salary considerations, career progression opportunities, and reasons for dismissal.

Although this law is in place, organisations need to be making sure they’re doing all they can to monitor that it’s being abided by – and taking meaningful action if it’s not.

The LGBTQ+ pay gap isn’t being resolved 

The most recent research into the LGBTQ+ pay gap discovered that LGBTQ+ employees are paid an average of £6,703 (16%) less than their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts in the UK. Seemingly, not enough has been done to change this since these findings came to light in 2019; just last year, a survey of 1,001 HR professionals highlighted that only 13% of employers monitor the LGBTQ+ pay gap within their organisations.

Employers with 250+ employees are required to report their gender pay gap data annually. The LGBTQ+ pay gap is almost double the gender pay gap, which currently stands at 8.3% for full-time employees. The Trades Union Congress (TUC) believe the government should introduce a requirement for eligible companies to report on their LGBTQ+ pay gap data, the same way they have to report on gender.

Organisations can do more to support LGBTQ+ employees

All year round, organisations must take the right measures to create an inclusive workplace for all. Here are just some of the ways employers can support staff:

1. Encourage LGBTQ+ network groups

In the modern work environment, it is no longer just a matter of acknowledging that all workers are equally valid. It is time to show that companies support the LGBTQ+ community and all that this entails. 

A very useful initiative is to promote the creation of internal inclusivity committees. They will be in charge of promoting the acceptance of different identities, which can be made up of both people from within the community and allies.

2. Promote an open conversation

Being comfortable to discuss DE&I is essential for progress within the workplace. Therefore, employers ought to encourage professionals to ask questions and be willing to learn, and also to challenge problematic views or offensive language in a productive way.

Employers should also monitor diversity within their organisation, by gathering diversity information through surveys for instance, to keep tabs on how diverse their workforce is, how much progress is yet to be made and what specific plans need to be implemented to improve DE&I.

3. Organise training and awareness-raising sessions

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) training is vital to help organisations create cultures that enable each and every individual to be themselves and thrive. Training can enable employers and professionals to address hidden bias and prejudices, and learn how to combat discrimination to move towards a more inclusive future.

Having a clear awareness of the issues at hand, such as the exclusion LGBTQ+ individuals still face at work today, is often the first step to coming up with solutions to achieve tangible change.

4. Recruit diverse talent

There must be continuous action, policies and support in place, and organisations must acknowledge Pride not just in June, but every month.

Last but by no means least, hiring managers should proactively recruit diverse talent, to build teams which are made up of people from all walks of life, which also improves innovation and creativity. Especially if professionals see themselves represented in their workforce, this helps to create a welcoming environment for all.

It’s an employer’s responsibility to make sure laws against discrimination are being adhered to; including making sure employees are being paid equally regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

However, more needs to be done than just following the law. Organisations should acknowledge Pride Month and demonstrate their support of their LGBTQ+ colleagues – and increase awareness for their workforce as a whole.

This has to go beyond a tokenistic display for Pride Month – there must be continuous action, policies and support in place, and organisations ought to acknowledge Pride not just in June, but every month.