Labour must do all they can to support businesses that are working hard to make their workplaces more inclusive to LGBTQ employees, writes Gideon Hymas
The Labour party, more than any other political party in the United Kingdom, has driven forward the cause of LGBTQ rights, both here and abroad. While the UK is in a period of political turmoil, Labour must continue the fight for LGBTQ inclusion in civil society and business – despite being out of power.
Last week I was struck by the debate that is happening in the business community about LGBTQ rights and inclusion. As a centrist, pro-business party, we should be standing up in support of businesses that are taking action, as well as for employees who do not feel comfortable being out in the workplace.
This debate is a particular hot topic among millennials, a key demographic for our party if we are to regain popularity in the years ahead. Many enter the workplace and are socialising and working with people outside their age group for the first time. Often, their more senior colleagues are less progressive on LGBTQ issues than the people they met in their education, whether at a technical college, university or elsewhere.
For instance, the report Pride and Prejudice: Agents of Change conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit published last week, found that 40 percent of junior staff said they do not know who guides company thinking on LGBTQ diversity and inclusion. This is a striking statistic, and what is also important is that young employees are often the ones leading the charge towards more inclusive practices more than senior executives.
Businesses which are already listening to the junior employees and developing policies that are more inclusive should be praised. For instance, Robyn Exton, CEO of HER, a company which bills itself as the ‘best app for lesbian, bisexual and queer people worldwide’ said that her junior employees expect senior executives to lead on this issue and to take it seriously. Speaking at the Economist’s ‘Pride and Prejudice’ event in London, Exton said: ‘Millennials want authenticity from their employers, which means inclusivity of the LGBTQ community.’
This issue is not just a problem in the UK and Labour must be seen as being part of a global coalition determined to improve LGBTQ rights around the world. While we are in opposition, we could make a big contribution by working with major international businesses to develop and highlight best practice.
Virgin Atlantic, for example, is one business that is leading the way on the issue. Mark Anderson, executive vice-president, Virgin Atlantic Airways was adamant that global brands must support colleagues throughout the world: ‘For our colleagues who work in countries that aren’t friendly to LGBTQ people, it’s critically important to make sure they know that their working environment is exactly the same as it would be in the U.K. We cannot operate in these countries with LGBTQ colleagues and do nothing.’
Businesses working hard to make their place of work more inclusive to their LGBTQ colleagues should be supported by Labour, not just because this is what we believe, but because millennials will choose a government that reflects their values, and Labour should always be the agent of progressive change.
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Key Statistics from the Economist Intelligence Unit’s ‘Pride and Prejudice: Agents of Change’ report
- When asked to identify who guides company thinking on LGBT diversity and inclusion, respondents chose young employees as the most influential
- Only 16 percent chose senior executives as most likely to support LGBT workplace diversity and inclusion.
- 40 percent of junior staff said they do not know who guides company thinking on LGBT diversity and inclusion.
- 33 percent of senior executives—versus only 13 percent of junior workers—said broader company leadership is most eager to support LGBT workplace diversity and inclusion.
- 37 percent of millennials believe there is a potential business opportunity in enacting LGBT-friendly workplace policies and practices
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Gideon Hymas is an analyst at Maitland Political and a member of Progress.
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