Making your LGBTQ employees feel seen — and supported

Long story short: Making your LGBTQ employees feel seen — and supported

June 4, 2021 11:40 AM

LGBTQ employees are taking a stand against workplace benefits and policies that don’t allow them to bring their best selves to work.

Eleven million Americans identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, 88% of whom are employed, according to the National LGBTQ Workers Center. This population has struggled to combat discrimination and weather harassment, forcing many to feel unseen, unheard and unsafe.

This week’s top stories from Employee Benefit News explore how workplaces can better support their LGBTQ employees — from more inclusive job postings, combatting virtual harassment and providing healthcare benefits that support the full spectrum of care and support these employees need.

‘A basic human right’: Why your benefits may be failing your LGBTQ employees

Members of the LGBTQ community don’t just want better, more inclusive benefits — they want educated providers who are medically qualified to tend to their physical needs and culturally aware enough to ease their psychological ones, too.

Eleven million Americans identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, 88% of whom are employed, according to the National LGBTQ Workers Center. Fifty-six percent of the LGBTQ community report experiencing discrimination from a provider and are two to three times more likely to avoid care compared to straight and cisgender populations, according to data from Included Health.

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‘A basic human right’: Why your benefits may be failing your LGBTQ employees

Best — and worst — states for LGBTQ employees

In order to better determine the best environments for queer employees, Adzuna, a global search engine company, analyzed U.S. states and sectors in depth to look at inclusivity across the nation, as well as job ads that specifically emphasize that job seekers of all sexual orientations are encouraged to apply, according to a press release.

Discrimnation often starts well before employees are through the door, the research found. With not enough position postings catering to LGBTQ job seekers, recruiting and hiring practices need an overhaul.

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Best — and worst — states for LGBTQ employees

The top 6 companies for LGBTQ employees

Despite greater acceptance and recognition of the LGBTQ community, the workplace is still an isolating place for many. About 46% of LGBTQ workers say they are closeted at work, according to data from the Human Rights Campaign, and 53% of LGBTQ employees say they occasionally hear workplace jokes about lesbian or gay people.

Employers can provide safer and more accepting work environments for their LGBTQ employees with resources and support groups, and provide allyship training for their colleagues. Many employers have launched resource groups, committed to inclusive hiring practices and partnered with outside organizations to support their LGBTQ team members.

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The top 6 companies for LGBTQ employees

How to protect your employees from online harassment

Due in part to the growth of remote employment that followed the COVID-19 pandemic, online workplace harassment has become a regrettably commonplace part of many employees’ daily lives. By blurring professional and personal lives and merging workplaces with the home, remote work may exacerbate online harassment even further. Early anecdotal evidence from the financial services industry suggests that offensive and hostile language linked to online harassment and bullying is on the rise among WFH employees.

Online harassment tends to disproportionately impact the most vulnerable segment of a company’s workforce. Employees who are younger, female, identify as LGBTQ, and come from racial and ethnic minority backgrounds are especially likely to experience harassment on the internet.

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How to protect your employees from online harassment