“It’s changed my life,” smiles Lilly Clarkson. “Before I didn’t really care about what happened at work. But now, I’m progressing to the point where I’m teaching others how to do my job.”
Lilly, an operational trainer and customer service adviser at Capita, is reflecting on how she’s changed since telling her colleagues that she’s trans two years ago. “I’m not the same person I was back then. Without the support from work to be myself, I would never have gained the confidence to upskill myself and be where I am now.”
Despite growing social acceptance and legal protections against discrimination, many lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer (LGBTQ+) people like Lilly continue to face the anxiety-inducing dilemma of deciding how open to be about their identity at work. According to Stonewall, more than a third of LGBTQ+ workers (35%) hide who they are for fear of discrimination. Alarmingly, research conducted by Totaljobs found the number of trans people keeping their identity secret from colleagues has also risen sharply.
For LGBTQ+ staff, where you work and how robustly your employer promotes inclusion can make a world of difference. “I’ve previously worked in companies where senior people aren’t even out and that shows a problem with their culture.” Like many in the community, Felipe Parra-Avila, a resourcing manager at Capita, is wary of companies “who just put a Pride flag outside” when, “in reality, the culture inside is not really supportive”.
Passionate about creating workplaces where LGBTQ+ people can bring their full selves to work, Felipe launched Rainbow Alliance three years ago – a space where Capita’s LGBTQ+ staff and allies can come together to make change.
His eyes light up as he retells the story of bringing Rainbow Alliance to life. “My directors and I had started talking about diversity and inclusion. One of the questions I asked was why we don’t have an LGBTQ+ network.”
Felipe expected to encounter numerous roadblocks and a lengthy bureaucratic process to set it up. To his surprise, the senior team got behind the idea immediately and made sure he had the time and resources he needed to build the network. “It was quite important to see from day one that the senior team were open to new ideas and encouraged me to start the network.”
Rainbow Alliance now boasts more than 450 members and has an executive committee sponsor. It runs educational events for all staff to foster diversity and inclusion, including a lunch on Trans Day of Visibility this past March to raise awareness of issues facing the trans community. Felipe proudly shares how some staff have credited the network with being the reason they felt able to come out.
During the pandemic, the network has worked with Capita to reimagine its Pride celebrations, for example, hosting online events that explore the issues. Katie McCormack, an ally who is also the co-chair of the network, discusses an online Pride event on LGBTQ+ families. “Hearing stories of kids coming out and parents being so open and receptive brought a tear to my eye.” She also tells of the company-wide #ShowYourPride campaign where “people were putting themselves, their animals, their kids in Pride colours and sharing photos’’, along with social posts that “showcase our LGBTQ+ staff and their stories”. Nigel Owens, a gay rugby referee, also did an online session for 400 staff about his personal story of coming out in sports.
However, an empowered network is just one piece of the wider puzzle. An inclusive company culture has to be driven by concrete policies and initiatives. This includes mandatory HR training on anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination and policies on parental leave, adoption and equal opportunity that are LGBTQ+ inclusive, which send a clear message that all staff are equal and valued. Lilly is keen to highlight the measures Capita and her managers took to support her transition. “My name was changed on HR systems and I got a new ID card way before my legal name change even went through.”
Felipe is also pushing forward with a plan to track the career paths of LGBTQ+ staff at the company. To identify and address further internal barriers, “we need to know how many LGBTQ+ people got jobs and promotions,” he says. Alongside this, Felipe is part of a company-wide reverse mentoring scheme where he shadows a senior leader and they discuss his career progression and LGBTQ+ issues.
It’s not just that LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion is right morally, it also makes good business sense. For Andrew Porter, group resourcing director and Rainbow Alliance member, it’s a vital part of attracting and retaining diverse staff. “Once I got to the point where I was comfortable saying ‘I’m gay’, I decided I would never go into an organisation where I had to hide that away. It would feel very much like going backwards in time.”
Study after study has shown that having an open and diverse workforce leads to higher levels of creativity, motivation and productivity. “To come out into an environment that was so accepting, I wouldn’t want to leave now,” says Lilly. “This inclusive culture inspires me to be more productive, and to progress and do better at work.”
Or quite simply, as Katie declares: “Happy staff, happy business. You keep your staff happy; those pounds and pennies will roll in.”
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