Just because Pride month is over doesn’t mean the struggle for LGBTQ visibility and acceptance ends. Many advocates for LGBTQ equality still note the challenges this community sees day to day, especially in the workplace.
“We're looking at policies that will carry us through not only the year, but throughout the organization. These are things that will be cemented as the foundation of who we are,” says Tauhidah Shakir, chief diversity officer at
Employers have a responsibility to help alleviate concerns and discriminatory practices that employees in the LGBTQ community have faced, both in the office and while working remotely due to the pandemic.
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These steps were created after Shakir began to hear from Paylocity’s own LGBTQ employees about the struggles they were facing.
“Listening to our employees, having focus groups conversations, listening sessions and understanding that employees need more from our organization and need more support,” she says. “So listening and having those conversations really was the catalyst to wanting policies and providing more support in these areas.”
Shakir suggests employers first make use of the resources offered by the
She also suggests creating a transition policy for transgender employees who are seeking to begin transitioning. This includes gender neutral bathroom designations and the creation of a safe place for open communication about the issues your LGBTQ employees are dealing with.
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These inclusionary steps can be extended to employees who are working remotely, as some workers can feel isolated in that environment. To that end, Shakir recommends an online resource group for employees to discuss grievances. Employers need to make it clear that they are dedicated to hearing employees’ concerns and that employees should have no fear of retribution when coming to their leadership with any problems.
Employees at Paylocity are regularly encouraged to make use of the tools provided to share their questions, concerns or simply to have a safe space to discuss what they may be facing on a personal level, Shakir says.
One way this is done at Paylocity is through the use of
“Our employee resource groups each have a space within Community,” Shakir says. “If there are specific questions or just topics that folks want to talk about, those are the safe spaces that we've carved out for folks to have conversations about what they're going through as individuals.”
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Although Paylocity did receive some pushback to these measures from employees who have wondered if these steps were actually needed in the workplace, the overall response to these measures have been positive, Shakir says.
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“Employees are feeling seen and heard in a way that they haven't felt like they have been before,” she says. When we think about diversity, equity and inclusion, we're encouraging employees to bring their whole selves to work, if we don't support it with policies, then it's just words.”
