Pride Month, observed annually in June, is a time to celebrate and honour the LGBTQ+ community. As an employer, practice manager or department manager, you are an essential part of ensuring that your workplace is an inclusive and safe place for all employees – including those who identify under the LGBTQ+ umbrella.
One way to help foster further inclusivity in the workplace for those who identify as LGBTQ+ is by actively recognising and celebrating Pride Month. This guide will provide you with valuable insights and practical ideas on how to celebrate Pride Month this year at work, and why it is an effective way to demonstrate your organisation’s commitment to inclusivity and diversity.
IDEAS ON HOW TO BEST CELEBRATE PRIDE MONTH IN THE WORKPLACE.
Foster an Inclusive Culture
Establish an inclusive culture where LGBTQ+ patients, employees, and clients can feel comfortable and respected. One way to do this is to educate your employees about the importance of inclusivity, diversity, and the significance of Pride Month. Encourage open dialogue, promote acceptance, and create safe spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals to share their experiences.
Also, make sure to effectively communicate about any Pride Month activities, initiatives, and events through internal communication channels, and encourage staff members to take part.
Organise Training
Offer LGBTQ+ awareness and sensitivity training sessions for employees to help foster understanding, empathy, and respect among colleagues as part of a wider equality and diversity training initiative. The training can either be in-person, or online. There are various benefits of both types of training, so it is worth exploring both options to see what works best for your organisation and staff. For example, in-person training can be more interactive and allows colleagues to train together at the same time.
On the other hand, online learning can be done remotely and at a time which best suits employees and healthcare professionals within their working hours. However, it is vital to remember that it is important that the training is available across the organisation or practice and is accessible for all staff members regardless of position held. In particular, you want to make sure that any locums or staff working variable hours have an equal opportunity to access this training.
You may also wish to consider having external LGBTQ+ professionals or advocates deliver workshops, or partner with LGBTQ+ organisations or charities to deliver authentic and engaging training sessions.
Equality and Diversity training is something that consistently benefits the organisation, at any time of year! Therefore, it is important to continue promoting this initiative beyond Pride Month, and not allow it to fall by the wayside.
Display Pride Symbols
Decorate your workplace with Pride symbols. By display inclusive signage or symbols – such as rainbow flags, banners, or posters – you are indicating that your organisation is LGBTQ+ friendly.
These visual cues will create a welcoming and celebratory atmosphere, as well as show solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. Ensure that your decorations are inclusive and respectful, taking into consideration the diverse identities and history within the community. Within practices, this also allows LGBTQ+ patients and other visitors to feel that they are in a safe space and could lead to better patient confidence in your practice and its staff.
Review your organisation’s Inclusion and Diversity Policies
Review and update existing policies to ensure they are inclusive and supportive of LGBTQ+ individuals, for both staff and patients. This may involve revising non-discrimination policies, providing gender-neutral restrooms and changing facilities, and offering healthcare benefits that address LGBTQ+-specific needs. Reach out to LGBTQ+ employees and organisations to ensure that your policies and practices meet their needs and requirements and gain some more insight in how to best support the community within your organisation.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF DOING THE ABOVE?
A diverse workplace has a wide range of benefits to its business – including in recruitment of top talent, and increased productivity.
A workplace which focuses on its equality and diversity policies and promotes a diversity in all roles with equal opportunities is more likely to boost the business in both productivity and popularity. For example, a business which makes LGBTQ+ individuals feel welcome and able to progress within the company is more likely to retain these employees due to improved job satisfaction and happiness. It also improves the chances of attracting and retaining top talent within this community, giving a competitive edge over other businesses. These employees are also more likely to remain loyal to the company and give better productivity output than at a business where they feel isolated and unhappy.
By constantly measuring and improving your business’ equality and diversity policies and initiatives, you also ensure that you are compliant with the Equality Act 2010. Alongside this, you are more likely to avoid any issues surrounding discrimination, harassment, or bullying incidents within the business, which can be costly to the business should an employee take legal action against their employer relating to these. Therefore, it is important to make the most of any initiatives and opportunities to bolster your organisation’s commitment to equality and diversity, making Pride Month celebrations a benefit to all
CONCLUSION
Celebrating Pride Month goes beyond symbolic gestures. It requires genuine commitment, inclusivity, and ongoing efforts to create a welcoming and supportive workplace for LGBTQ+ employees. By implementing the strategies outlined in this guide, management and HR professionals within healthcare can contribute to fostering a culture of acceptance and equality, not just during Pride Month, but throughout the year.