In What Ways are Companies Making Themselves More Welcoming to LGBT Workers?

LGBT workers sometimes feel the need to remain in the closet and to keep their private lives private for fear of repressions from employers and coworkers. These workers, which include those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, worry that one wrong move will leave them in the unemployment line. Many companies, including Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies, now want those workers to feel more comfortable. Companies like Target allow transgender people to use the men’s or women’s restroom, and other companies implemented new rules and regulations to better protect these workers.

Changing Sexual Harassment Rules

Sexual harassment is an issue that occurs when one worker does something that makes another worker feel uncomfortable. This can include making rude comments, behaving in a sexual manner or even viewing sexual materials at work. Though there are federal laws in place that ban sexual harassment, many view this is as something that can only occur between a man and a woman. Sexual harassment can also include two workers of the same sex. Many companies changed sexual harassment regulations to keep those who identify as LGBT free from harassment in the workplace.

Discrimination Policies

Several states made headlines after passing or trying to pass new laws that would let employers discriminate against employees based on factors like sexuality or religion. This allows a hiring manager to turn down a gay employee based on personal opinions rather than merit. A number of companies fought back and implemented their own discrimination policies. According to Scott Edward Bixby, 94% of companies within the Fortune 100 have anti-discrimination policies in place that prohibit managers from firing, not hiring or not promoting workers based on sexual orientation. When North Carolina announced plans to let employers discriminate against LGBT workers, companies like Disney announced that they would no longer do business in that state.

Related: What is Diversity Training?

Offering Support

One way employers can make these employees feel more comfortable and welcomed is with a little support. HR directors and managers can maintain an open door policy that allows workers to come in and talk about the issues they have at work, including any workers who make them feel uncomfortable and any comments they hear while at work. Employers can also create policies that let employees know that they can come out of the closet without fearing that they might lose out on a promotion or a raise in the future.

Banning Negative Talk

Banning negative talk goes along with new sexual harassment policies. Employees must know that they face repressions for telling rude jokes or making comments that discriminate against others on the job site. Those repressions may include a verbal warning or a day off without pay. Those working hourly may lose out on some of their hours for continually acting and speaking in a negative manner. Employers may even outright fire anyone who refuses to change his or her behavior.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees deserve the same rights as any other employees, which is why major companies now have rules and regulations in place that relate to those workers. Even as some states push forward with laws that will let employers discriminate against those workers, major corporations banned negative talk, changed sexual harassment policies and brought in new anti-discrimination policies to better protect LGBT workers.