Rutuja Abande
Two years after the historic judgment passed by India’s Supreme Court to decriminalize homosexuality, many companies are slowly realizing that the case for LGBTQ+ inclusion is stronger than ever, and employment for the LGBTQ+ community is slowly gaining acceptance in the private sector. However, tackling underrepresentation, prejudices and biases remain a work in progress.
Brief Overview
It is difficult to accurately ascertain the number of LGBTQ+ individuals in any population, this is also particularly true for India, where the topic is still taboo and the lack of openness and sensitivity is high.
Topics such as sexual orientation and gender identity continue to be issues that are not openly discussed in society let alone in the workplace. This results in superstitious beliefs, homophobia, and widespread misinformation which often leaves queer people disempowered politically, economically, and socially; even forcing them to deny the core of their identity and vital dimensions of their personality.
According to a survey conducted by MIngle, entitled ‘Out’ Number in India, LGBT Workplace Diversity, and Inclusion Survey 2011-2012,” is a first of its kind for India. The study targeted the LGBTQ+ employees in the Engineering, Software & IT Services, and Finance sector.
Key Takeaways from the Survey:
The survey provides a glimpse of the work environment in India from an LGBTQ+ employees’ perspective.
Coming out at work - The survey reveals that the vast majority choose to remain closeted at work due to the fear of discrimination or the possibility of losing connections or relationships with co-workers.
Fear of name-calling and retaliation- Nearly 80% of respondents reported facing harassment at their workplace in the form of homophobic comments, jokes, or anti-gay rhetoric at their workplace.
Employee Interaction - Nearly 50% of the respondents reported they don’t know any other LGBTQ +employee in their workplace and if their organization provided them with the opportunity, they would like to attend LGBTQ-related events and be a part of the employee resource group/ network.
Why Businesses Should Care About Inclusion & Diversity:
1. They are crucial for business success and employee satisfaction.
Understanding the business relevance of the LGBTQ+ issues to the workplace starts with the recognition that an inclusive & diverse business environment is directly related to enhanced business performance. One study uncovered that companies that had LGBT+ inclusive practices improved their financial performance & outperformed their respective sectors in 5-10 years after adopting such workplace practices.
2. Attraction and Retention
Roughly about 5-10% of any working population is likely to belong to the LGBT+ community and companies need to show a solid track record of inclusive practices as it not only draws this increasingly visible segment but also appeals to the unknown number of employees that may have LGBTQ+ family or friends. This enhances the likeability amongst employees who want to be associated with a company that shows support and respect to the queer segment.
3. Battle for Talent & Demands of Gen Z
At an estimated 472 million, Indian’s Gen Z accounts for the largest in the world. With Gen Z just beginning to enter the workforce, they bring with them a vastly different worldview from their previous generations. The generation was born with unfettered access to the internet that permits them to connect with like-minded communities and they have a platform to present and validate their experiences & feelings on a much wider platform than those that came before.
Gen Z is more vocal about their dissatisfaction and is even willing to move jobs if their roles are no longer stimulating or they aren't able to express their true selves at the work. They desire more from their employers - as both employees and consumers. They want companies to practice inclusion even if the cause is not directly connected to their own experience and are willing to work only if the organization is willing to work for them.
India Workplace Equality Index (IWEI):
The IWEI, published as the country’s first definitive benchmarking tool for LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion based on nine areas including - Policies and benefits, employee lifecycle, employee network group, allies and role models, senior leadership, monitoring, procurement, community engagement, and additional work.
Examples of Best Practices Adopted by the Gold Award Winners Include -
Policies and Benefits -
Google-
Provides a transgender and intersex medical advocacy program to all employees. In recognizing the obstacles to care facing the transgender community in India, such as stigmatization, plan design issues, and a lack of experienced providers, Google has worked with service providers to build the program to ensure trans and intersex employees are fully supported on their journey and the cost is covered by Google.
General Electric -
GE India not only has gender-neutral bathrooms in the offices but also participates in job fairs organized by gay support groups. Also, all suppliers and on-site contractors at GE India Technology Centre are often invited to attend all ERG events, including LGBT+ sensitization training and allyship initiatives. When onboarding new suppliers and their employees onsite, training on GE’s commitment to inclusion and diversity is provided on the first day.
Microsoft -
Microsoft ensured that same-sex partners were covered in their healthcare offering and their Covid-specific medical benefits. Same-sex partners of employees were offered vaccinations during employee vaccination drives, and also offered aid through a telemedicine service.
Johnson & Johnson -
Johnson & Johnson in India not only offers all medical benefits to same-sex partners, but it also hosts webinars and employee groups like 'Open and Out' which motivates LGBT+ members to come out, share their experiences, and also enables other employees to connect and engage.
According to Sonal Jain, enterprise head HR, and consumer health head HR, “We find that the more awareness we create on this subject, the more accepting people get, and the more conscious they are about unconscious biases and perceptions,”
However, as hopeful as these facts and figures may seem, the fight for inclusivity has a long way to go. Many firms are yet to open their doors to inclusivity and even if they do it is just for the sake of it, i.e. , to tick the boxes without fully comprehending what it means or what kind of challenges the LGBTQ employee might need to face.
Any organization should claim themselves inclusive only when everybody right from the business leaders to the cafeteria staff is sensitized and the company takes an active effort to create a supportive infrastructure wherein the queer employees feel safe to be themselves.
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