Take Pride: Creating a safe environment for LGBTQIA+ employees

Eileen Barnard, Principal Organisational Culture Manager for DE&I at Babbel discusses going beyond Pride 25.

For many companies, June has long marked a month of updated logos, social posts about Pride, and campaigns aimed at engaging the LGBTQIA+ community. Internally, it has also become a time of increased visibility for all employees, with Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) organising Pride events which both celebrate community and increase understanding to allow allies to better support their colleagues.

However, recent political and social shifts – such as changes in US administration, the rise of far-right movements across Europe, the growing influence of Reform in the UK, and a wave of legislation aimed at reducing LGBTQIA+ rights – have led to companies globally abandoning their commitment to DE&I, or pulling back on initiatives aimed at building equitable and inclusive work environments. Many companies who had previously been vocal supporters of the LGBTQIA+ community and the main source of funding for Pride events, have suddenly fallen silent and withdrawn their financial support for such initiatives.

As the Principal Organisational Culture Manager for DE&I at Babbel – and as a queer person – I feel the burden this has had on my own community; the worries around our safety and rights, and the fear for those LGBTQIA+ people who we know are most at risk: trans people, people from racialised communities and those living with disabilities. I also understand the challenges that we as HR professionals now face when it comes to how we support LGBTQIA+ employees. Now is a time when employees will be questioning whether the past commitments that were made to them by their employers remain and whether their wellbeing at work is still guaranteed.

Feeling safe, always

So, how do we ensure that our LGBTQIA+ colleagues feel safe at work – not just during Pride month, but throughout every month of the year?

Whilst every company will need to find an approach that works for their business set-up, there are some things that we can all do to ensure that – no matter what happens outside – all of our colleagues continue to feel like they belong when they are at work.

1. Don’t make assumptions; ask and listen: If you have openly LGBTQIA+ staff, check in with them, ask what they need and listen to them. If someone says they don’t need anything, respect that. Assumptions, no matter how well-meaning, are still assumptions and may not reflect reality. More generally, internal communications that reaffirm your company’s values can also create a sense of safety, especially for those employees who may not be out.
2. Take an intersectional approach, always: It’s important that we are cognisant of the impact structural discrimination has on different groups within the LGBTQIA+ communities and ensure that we don’t try to implement a one-size-fits-all solution. Our identities are complex, and the way we navigate society will also be determined by other parts of our identity, so we also need to make sure our policies and support offerings recognise this. If your company currently does equality monitoring – as we do at Babbel – use it to review and refine policies so they address real needs.
3. Create safe spaces: Having ERGs or staff networks provides LGBTQIA+ employees with an opportunity to connect with others and support one another. For smaller companies, this won’t necessarily be a viable option, so consider partnering with other small businesses and creating cross-company communities/networks. Ensuring that budget is available for these groups and networks is also a signal of a company’s commitment. At Babbel, our LGBTQIA+ network, the “Queer Collective”, has been up and running – and has had dedicated funding – for the past two years. This has enabled the group to become embedded into the company culture, which crucially, has created a sense of security.
4. Have a named trusted person: Whilst ERGs and staff networks provide a space for people to support one another, it’s also important to have a named trusted person outside of that space whom employees can approach for help. This ensures that the burden of care doesn’t fall solely on community members who may also need support themselves.
5. Provide training and guidance: Ensure managers understand how political and social changes can impact people’s lives, and thus how they perform at work. Creating guidance on how to support staff during times of crises and unrest is a great starting point for ensuring a common approach. Providing additional training for managers and business partners can help build on that. At Babbel, we created our guidance for line managers based on staff experiences and feedback, which ensured the guidance was relevant and focused.
6. Revisit your mental health provisions: If you currently have an employee assistance programme (EAP), check if it includes LGBTQIA+ specific content or allows access to LGBTQIA+ counsellors/therapists, and create a comms programme to highlight this through the month. At Babbel, we worked with our EAP provider to ensure that employees could search for support based on different parts of their identity – and this makes a world of difference. If you don’t have an EAP, consider collecting mental health materials aimed at LGBTQIA+ employees into a digital library and sharing it via internal newsletters. Again, talk with your LGBTQIA+ staff to understand what support would be most helpful.

Whilst this is of course not an exhaustive list, it can be used as a starting point to create or maintain an inclusive environment at this crucial moment in time. What’s important to remember is that supporting employees and standing by your values should always remain central to your company’s mission, no matter how difficult that may seem right now. Our people are our strength, and being consistent in our support – regardless of what is happening outside – not only helps employees feel safe enough to grow and thrive, it’s also essential to building resilient, future-ready organisations.