Leading employers sign up to create gay-friendly workplaces

Some of Australia's highest profile employers have come out in support of a ground-breaking program which aims to make workplaces more responsive to the needs of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people.  

Called Pride in Diversity, the new program has been created by ACON - Australia's largest community-based LGBT health organisation - in partnership with Diversity Council Australia, and London-based LGBT advocacy group Stonewall UK.

Officially launched earlier this week in Sydney by former High Court judge the Hon. Michael Kirby, the importance of the initiative has already been recognised by a broad range of leading Australian employers which have signed up as foundation members of the program. These include IBM, KPMG, ING Australia, Goldman Sachs JBWere, Lend Lease, the Department of Defence, the Australian Federal Police and Telstra.

Pride in Diversity director Dawn Hough said the program is Australia's first employer support program for the inclusion of LGBT people and is all about helping Australian employers introduce HR and diversity policies that specifically support LGBT staff. "Research shows that up to 60% of LGBT people experience some form of harassment at work during their careers," Hough said. "That's four times the rate of the general population."

Hough noted the treatment that many LGBT people experience in the workplace can range from negative comments through to open abuse from both management and colleagues. "This causes many LGBT people to feel uncomfortable in their workplace which can significantly impair their performance."

Fear of abuse or discrimination forces many LGBT people to hide their sexual orientation or gender identity while they're at work, leading to an increase in anxiety or depression. "It's a very serious issue and employers across the board really need to be taking action to ensure they provide a sufficient duty of care," Hough added.

ACON CEO Nicolas Parkhill said that following the Australian Government's recent same-sex law reforms it's time for employers to fully support their LGBT staff. "Many companies throughout Australia have policies that support diversity in the areas of age, gender, cultural background and disability but hardly any have initiatives that support LGBT people. We're grateful for the support of Pride in Diversity's foundation members and look forward to other organisations coming on board to address this important issue in Australian workplaces." 

Employers will also soon be able measure how inclusive their workplace is of LGBT staff with Pride in Diversity's forthcoming Australian Workplace Equality Index. For more information, visit www.prideindiversity.com.au

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