Pride Month serves as a reminder of the ongoing fight for LGBTQ+ equality and acceptance
This week, we are providing free access to our full Diversity and Inclusion eLearning courses for businesses to improve their D&I training for all employees during National Inclusion Week 2022, which takes place from 26th September to 2nd October 2022.
In support of the awareness week, led by membership organisation Inclusive Employers, the 15 training courses created for all employees and managers will be available for free for 7 days, and include:
- Promoting Diversity and Inclusion
- Disability Inclusion
- Implementing Reasonable Adjustments
- Introduction to UK Equality Legislation for Managers
The need to educate on diversity is made clear by Google search data which shows online searches for ‘gender pronouns in the workplace’ has risen by 500% over the past three years (April 2020 – April 2022).
There has also been a significant increase in searches for ‘unconscious bias at work’ of 58% during the same period.
‘Bullying, harassment and discrimination at work’ searches grew dramatically by three-fifths (62.5%), ‘disability discrimination at work’ searches increased by half (51.25%), ‘racial discrimination at work’ searches rose by 40.3%, and ‘age discrimination at work’ searches grew by almost a third (30.6%).
Darren Hockley, Managing Director at DeltaNet International, said:
“We must educate employees at all levels to be more aware of unconscious bias to help change viewpoints and build an inclusive culture. Therefore, businesses cannot underestimate the importance of training.
“Training allows organisations to create a compliant culture and educate employees on common issues, from using the correct gender pronouns to treating disabled workers with respect.
“Employee Tribunal Data from WorkNest showed that nearly half of the Employment Tribunal Claims they received during January 2019 and December 2021 included some form of discrimination.
“Disability was the protected characteristic most relied upon by Claimants during this period, and there was a 52% surge in sex-related discrimination claims and a 27% rise in claims related to race between 2021 and 2019.
“Unconscious bias and sexual harassment remain apparent in the workplace, so employees must understand what behaviour is expected of them. Likewise, line managers must learn to manage the situations they may find themselves in dealing with diversity and inclusion issues in the workplace.
“Stamping out discrimination in the workplace is critical for organisations to thrive and enhances their internal creativity and ways of thinking. Research has even shown that diverse businesses are more profitable, but in order to have a happy, diverse workforce, it must be truly inclusive.”
“Our diversity and inclusion online training solutions are up-to-date to be reflective of the current workforce, address issues most commonly seen and take into account the most recent updates to equality legislation.”
DeltaNet International’s courses allow employees and managers to understand the UK equality legislative requirements. This includes gender equality, disability inclusion in the workplace, and addressing sexual harassment.
To access the free courses, sign up here between 26th September and 2nd October 2022, and you will have free access to the platform for seven days.
There are 15 courses in total and each course takes on average 15 minutes to complete.
Following a recent survey by YouGov, the TUC has called for the government to introduce a range of measures to support LGBT people at work.
Along with pay gap reporting, which indicates that LGBT workers are paid 16% less (effectively £6,703 per year), the government is being urged to consult with unions to protect LGBT people from workplace bullying and harassment, by introducing a new duty on employers to make workplaces safe.
The poll of around 1000 HR managers, also found that:
Bullying and harassment: Only half (51%) of managers surveyed said they had a policy prohibiting sexual discrimination, bullying and harassment against LGBT workers in their workplace.
Less than half (47%) said they had a clear reporting route for workers to raise concerns about discrimination, bullying and harassment against LGBT workers – even though one in seven (15%) managers had responded to bullying, harassment or discrimination against one or more LGBT workers.
Trans workers: Just one in four (25%) managers said that they had a policy setting out support for trans (including non-binary) workers who wish to transition to live as another gender.
Family-friendly working: Less than half (47%) of HR managers told the TUC that they had family policies (such as adoption, maternity, paternity and shared parental leave policies) that apply equally to LGBT workers.
Of those HR managers whose workplaces that have LGBT policies in place, only around one in three (34%) have reviewed those policies in the last 12 months.
More than one in four (28%) can’t remember when they last looked at them.
Ensure your bullying and harassment policies are clear and inclusive
Many workplaces don’t have specific policies in place to support their LGBT staff, and without these policies, too many LGBT workers experience bullying, harassment and discrimination at work.
To combat discrimination or harassment at work, business leaders should have stringent internal policies which are critical to supporting LGBT staff. Policy documents should highlight the consequences for any customers, clients, colleagues or third parties who are guilty of harassing employees, including LGBT.
It’s also critical to make the process easier for employees to raise grievances and challenge harassment, so this behaviour never gets repeated to another colleague or person in general. Employees must visibly see that their business leaders take harassment cases very seriously and recognise that any issues get tackled straight away, so colleagues feel comfortable raising issues and know what they say matters.
Employee training is key to preventing workplace misconduct
Everyone deserves access to a safe working environment, and education is key to preventing bullying and harassment at work. Prioritising compulsory equality and diversity training to prevent discrimination and harassment in the workplace, as well as training on how to respect one another, will help reinforce the behaviour that employees should adhere to while at work.
Diversity and inclusion measures don’t just stop there. It should also include educating employees to be more aware of unconscious bias, often based on appearance, cultural, social behaviour or experience, to help change viewpoints and build an inclusive culture.
In addition, training should include implementing inclusive family policies such as adoption, maternity and parental leave, making it easier for LGBT workers to recognise their inclusion. Business leaders must also support the use of gender-neutral pronouns in the workplace and how its use can be effective in making LGBT employees feel more comfortable in the workplace.
Take a look at our range of Diversity and Inclusion online training courses and improve diversity and inclusion awareness among your employees and managers.