LGBT+ History Month: Seven of the world’s most inclusive employers taking the lead on employee experience

Everyone deserves to work for a company that’s diverse, inclusive, and allows each and every individual to bring their true selves to work.

However sadly, some businesses are better than others at supporting their employees – particular those who are LGBTQIA+.

But as February marks LGBT+ History Month, we took it upon ourselves to highlight just some of the businesses that have been pioneering change – and plan to continue to do so.

Virgin Media 02

By encouraging employees to bring their whole selves to work, Virgin Media 02 aims to ensure each and every individual feels safe, seen, and heard.

“This is underpinned by our diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy, All In, which is helping us create a more inclusive and equitable company,” Nisha Marwaha, director of DEI at Virgin Media O2, says.

“We have a series of best-in-class family-friendly policies – such as adoption, maternity, and paternity leave which use gender-neutral language so they are accessible for all employees – including LGBTQIA+ families, so our people have the flexibility to be there for their loved ones when it counts.”

To support its transgender and non-binary colleagues to access gender, VM02 also provides funding for transitioning treatment, so everyone has access to the care and support they need. Retail staff are also open to express their gender identities by adding pronouns to their name badges.

We also work closely with our internal network, Proudly, which represents LGBTQIA+ employees, to ensure they are supported and listened to; increase awareness of the challenges faced by the LGBTQIA+ community; and together we celebrate key dates, such as Pride, where we take part in parades across the UK,” Marwaha adds.

“VM02 has also been named as one of Stonewall’s Top 100 employers in 2023, and are passionate about continuing to support our LGBTQIA+ employees so they can belong and thrive at Virgin Media O2.”

Accenture

To create an inclusive environment, Accenture is passionate about creating an inclusive environment that is equitable for all employees, regardless of their gender identity or sexual orientation.

In fact, through the company’s Visible Growth; Invisible Fears report, it was shared that 57% of LGBT+ employees feel that their progression at work has slowed as a result of their gender identity and expression or their sexual orientation. What’s more, when it comes to welcoming their identity in the workplace, only 14% of LGBT+ employees feel fully supported by their employer.

For over two decades, Accenture has supported the LGBTQIA+ community and will continue to do so by enabling employees to embark on professional development, introducing inclusive policies and ensuring recruitment, promotion and retention guidelines are clear.

Additionally, employees are offered same-sex partners are given equal access to medical plans, coverage for transgender-inclusive health care benefits, and access to Accenture’s Global Pride network, which connects employees to more than 90 employees across different 45 countries.

Pleo

“You might have previously heard the phrase: ‘Diversity is being invited to the party, while inclusion is being asked to dance’,” says Meri Williams, CTO at Pleo. “These days, however, we need to talk about equity or people being treated fairly.

At Pleo, we, therefore, believe that educating our leaders and teams on this topic is crucial – and that being able to talk about diversity and inclusivity should be considered an organizational necessity.”

To achieve this, the business works hard to create the right support environment around individuals by dismantling biases, raising awareness, and promoting access routes into the industry. This feeds into Pleo’s positive workforce culture, which is one that focuses on human centricity.

Colt

With four strategic pillars: leadership and governance; inclusive culture; diverse representation; and equitable business practices, Colt has become a world leader for LGBTQIA+ inclusion.

As a company, Colt talks about ‘Actioning Inclusion’.

“Our collaborative approach sees our DEI team and Pride Matters – our global LGBTQ+ and allies’ network – working on building safe spaces, raising awareness, and embedding inclusion into our policies and ways of working,” says Caroline Griffin Pain, chief legal officer at Colt Technology Services.

“Our compassionate leave policy recognizes chosen family and we have educated colleagues on allyship. We’ve introduced a Transitioning at Work policy and guidance because feeling safe, supported, and included at work is everyone’s right. We also partner with other tech businesses to support the LGBTQIA+ community and drive change because no one organization can do this alone.”

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola isn’t new to the DEI space – in fact, far from it. Since 2006, the business has scored 100% on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index – a tool that rates American businesses on their treatment of LGBTQIA+ employees, consumers, and investors.

It has also found many other creative ways to show its allyship to the LGBTQIA+ community, from supporting pride parades to running rainbow-colored billboards.

But that’s not it for Coca-Cola as the company has big plans to continue this progress into the future, particularly with its Real IMPACT campaign, which launched in 2022. The campaign focuses on empowerment, with three cornerstone initiatives: work, agriculture, and innovation. The initiative aims to support the lives of vulnerable stakeholders by providing them with the tools to better themselves, their families, and the community around them.

Workhuman

For over 20 years, Workhuman has been pioneering the human workplace, to help companies harness the power of their people – their most valuable assets.

At Workhuman, we prioritize LGBTQIA+ inclusivity through initiatives like Sparkle, our LGBTQIA+ Employee Resource Group, and tools like Inclusion Advisor. Sparkle was created to foster community, visibility, and ensure all employees can be their authentic selves at work. Sparkle is embraced across the company, with over 25% of our humans included in the group,” Niamh Graham, SVP, global human experience at Workhuman.

“Inclusion Advisor ensures recognition messages are free of unconscious bias, flagging problematic language and offering alternatives. With 65% of employees modifying their messages, we cultivate a workplace where everyone feels respected and accepted. Workhuman is firmly committed to DEI, setting the tone for full inclusion.”

Microsoft

Since 1989, Microsoft has stood with the LGBTQIA+ community, after introducing the company’s non-discrimination policies.

Four years later, in 1993, the tech giant became one of the first companies to offer employee benefits for same-sex domestic partnerships, standing as a supporter for marriage equality before it became legal in the US. What’s more, Microsoft has scored 100% on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index for 17 years.

But of course, Microsoft didn’t want to stop here, as it’s continued its commitment to the LGBTQIA+ community. For example, last year marked the 30^th anniversary of the Global LGBTQIA+ Employees and Allies at Microsoft (GLEAM) – an employee resource group dedicated to boosting inclusion.