GAY PEOPLE, YOUR BUSINESS What small employers need to know
WE DON’T HAVE LESBIANS WORKING HERE, YOU KNOW.
OH, MY GIRLFRIEND WILL BE DELIGHTED TO HEAR THAT!
“The government is fully committed to equality for lesbian, gay and bisexual people and the employment equality regulations are a landmark achievement of which we are rightly proud. Because 97 per cent of all businesses employ fewer than 20 people, the need to make them aware of the protections relating to sexual orientation is vital. We’re delighted to have the opportunity to work with Stonewall on this vital initiative.” Meg Munn MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Women & Equality
"Acas welcomes this new guide and the role it will play in the fight to combat discrimination in the workplace." Rita Donaghy, Acas Chair “This guide is a ‘must read’ for small businesses wanting to get their diversity policy on track and keen to take advantage of the pink pound, now estimated to be worth £70 billion.” Stephen Alambritis, Federation of Small Businesses “Privately owned, Yaxley Hall (Suffolk) was already a successful venue for civil weddings and receptions. Now our enthusiastic response to civil partnerships has created a whole new avenue of business without almost any additional investment. Each civil partnership brings business to the local area – from florists and hotels to local food and drink suppliers. In fact, we calculate that each civil partnership we hold provides 10 local jobs for the event at the Hall, and around 100 local hotel and bed and breakfast nights. In short, the benefits to the local area are significant. More and more businesses are realising that they need to serve the gay community well in order to stay competitive.” Edited by Jenn Bonito Produced for Stonewall by Warwick Worldwide Designed by Christian Tate © Stonewall: 2006, Charity No 1101255 Please credit Stonewall when copying or using this material elsewhere.
MAKING BUSINESS SENSE The vast majority of small businesses want to do the right thing for their gay staff and customers. It’s not just about being aware of the law, it’s about how you can actually improve your business by being gay-friendly. That’s why Stonewall has produced this tailored guide for you. Today’s forward thinking businesses realise that embracing the diversity of Britain’s population is essential for reputation and recruitment. For a small business, one bad incident could do serious damage to staff morale. On the other hand, being aware of gay people will help you attract higher skilled, more motivated employees – don’t miss out on talented staff because of how they perceive you. But it’s not only your staff who are affected. A bad customer experience does serious reputational damage, particularly for a small business. There are 3.6 million gay people in Britain – building a positive reputation will lead to more loyal customers and more business, all good news for the bottom line. For the 1.7 million lesbian, gay and bisexual people in Britain’s workforce, new laws now entitle them to protections similar to those already provided for women, disabled, and black and ethnic minority staff. The opportunity for small businesses is to go beyond the law and make gay people part of your business success. Ben Summerskill Chief Executive, Stonewall
“ MIGHT SOMEONE GAY IN YOUR WORKPLACE FEEL UNWELCOME, DISCRIMINATED AGAINST, OR BULLIED?” But we don’t have gay people working for us… They won’t necessarily be wearing a badge, you know. Over half of gay or lesbian people conceal their sexual orientation at work, so there’s no way of knowing how many of your staff, contractors or customers are gay. Official figures now estimate that about six per cent of the population is lesbian, gay or bisexual (sometimes called LGB). The law of averages says that at least some of the people you encounter on any given day are gay, whether they let you know about it or not.
I’m not going to run my business for one in 20 people. Gay staff, customers or those with lesbian or gay family and friends add up to far more than one in 20. Think about all your customers’ experiences – would a straight customer with a gay family member recommend you to them? How do your employees treat each other and those they interact with to bring in business for you? Would someone gay in your workplace feel unwelcome, discriminated against, or bullied?
So, what’s this new law then? SO YOU’RE THE LESBIAN JANE WAS TALKING ABOUT… I HOPE YOU LIKE THE JOB MORE THAN THE GAY GUY – HE QUIT.
The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations became law on 1 December 2003 and made it unlawful to discriminate in training or employment – including recruitment – against someone because they are or you think they are lesbian, gay or bisexual. So abuse directed at someone who’s straight, because of who they hang out with or because they ‘seem’ gay, is also now unlawful. It’s the same sort of protection that already exists for ethnic minorities and women. The law has been tested through several tribunals, proving that it does have teeth, but why get to that point if you can get things right in the first place?
“DEAL WITH HOMOPHOBIC BULLYING THE SAME WAY YOU WOULD IF SOMEONE WAS BEING RACIALLY ABUSED” Isn’t it more red tape though? Most businesses have found that having safeguards actually improve individual and team performance. Hugely successful companies from IBM and BT through to Barclays and Accenture have embraced the legislation and have found that anti-discrimination measures have helped them in recruitment, retention and general happiness of staff. And if even the Royal Navy – an organisation which until 2000 fired people for being gay – is making it work because it’s good for morale, then there’s not much of a reason why everyone can’t.
I get that, but you can’t make people change their attitude toward gays if they don’t want to… You might not be able to change their attitude, but you need to change their behaviour. If any member of staff feels bullied, harassed, passed over or not put forward for promotion because of their sexuality, then you are legally responsible for dealing with it in the same way you would be if someone was being racially abused or treated in a sexist way. Deal with issues as they arise – or are reported – to prevent ongoing discrimination and to keep your business away from risk of legal action.
This is all we need – one more thing to worry about… Don’t think of it as a chore, think of it as a business opportunity. No matter what your own feelings, all the evidence shows that diversity works for today’s businesses. If you show respect for your workers and customers, you’ll find they show respect and loyalty to you which helps your bottom line. And most people want to work somewhere that reflects the world at large – which includes lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
HOW DO WE KNOW OUR GAY STAFF ARE HAPPY?
YOU COULD ALWAYS ASK…
IF THEY’RE NOT, THEY’LL JUST LEAVE – WON’T THEY?
“EMBRACING THE HAS ACTUALLY HELPED IN RECRUITMENT, GENERAL So what can I do? 1 Comply Remember that you’re not alone – everyone has to comply with the legislation. Find out what other businesses are doing – check out sector newsletters, magazines and websites such as www.stonewall.org.uk/work 2 Educate Tackle stereotypes and assumptions through training and education. Access useful websites and free information services such as those listed on the back cover. In short, familiarise yourself with the law and then pass the information on to staff through e-mails, posters and free booklets, like Stonewall’s guide for employees. 3 Follow through Make sure your staff know what’s expected and what the consequences are for bullying and harassment. This includes jokes and teasing: it’s not ok to make fun of people, no matter how ‘good natured’ it’s intended to be. Make it clear that discriminatory (unlawful) behaviour will be dealt with consistently – in other words, enforce a zero-tolerance policy for all discrimination. 4 Outside influences Make sure your contractors – from recruiters to suppliers – are aware of and asked to comply with your anti-discrimination policy. This helps you make sure that your working environment isn’t affected by their actions and it increases your employees’
NEW LEGISLATION THOUSANDS OF BUSINESSES RETENTION AND HAPPINESS OF STAFF” trust that the organisation will do the right thing. 5 Get real Be vigilant that you don’t inadvertently discriminate against lesbian and gay staff. If you have a company get-together, for instance, and staff are able to bring their partners, then make sure that it’s clear that partners of lesbian and gay staff are also entitled to come along…and not get a hard time for it when they do.
SHE SAYS CLARE’S TAKING HER GIRLFRIEND TO THE CHRISTMAS PARTY
“ALL THE EVIDENCE SHOWS THAT DIVERSITY WORKS FOR TODAY’S BUSINESSES”
“JPS Print (Buckinghamshire) strongly supports equality within all aspects of life in and out of the workplace. For a number of years, we have actively competed with other printers to serve clients who publish professional lesbian and gay literature. Winning this business was vital to successfully increasing our turnover every year for the past five years. We now have a number of clients from many different industries, charities and communities and will continue seeking clients within this market.”
And if I really want to go for it? 1 Recruitment Include an anti-discrimination statement in application forms or recruitment ads – research has shown that businesses which do this get a broader base of candidates. Find alternative ways of reaching a wider variety of applicants, such as by advertising in pink media or only using recruitment agencies you know to be fair. 2 Retention Make all your benefits, such as compassionate leave, available to all staff – it might prevent awkward situations or people leaving because they were too afraid to ask. A lesbian or gay man won’t want the additional stress of ‘outing’ themselves, just to find out if they can get time off for a partner’s illness.
3 Productivity Create an environment where your gay workers feel comfortable to discuss their lives like everyone else. No one has to ‘come out’ if they don’t want to, but it makes for a more productive workplace if people feel able to be themselves. Research has shown that ‘out’ employees generally perform better. 4 Reputation Follow the lead of other businesses by having a member of staff who will champion diversity and equality within the business. This shows a visible commitment to your staff and gives them a contact point for discussing questions or problems which may arise. 5 Marketing Get your slice of the pink pound pie! The pink pound is the estimated £70 billion buying power that lesbian, gay and bisexual people have. Bold businesses target this often overlooked (and rather loyal) market simply by advertising existing products or services in pink media, creating new offers for gay people or sending staff to a gay pride event. And remember…everyone deserves respect and dignity at work. Don’t assume you know someone’s sexual orientation – you might be wrong. Don’t be shocked if a customer ‘outs’ themselves to you – it can make or break a sale. Not ‘outing’ them to other staff or customers should go without saying.
“This guide is a ‘must read’ for small businesses keen to take advantage of the pink pound.” - Federation of Small Businesses
Further Info: Stonewall The resource for UK employers who want to be gay-friendly
[email protected] www.stonewall.org.uk/workplace
DTI’s Business Link Practical advice for business 0845 600 9006 (helpline) www.businesslink.gov.uk
Federation of Small Businesses The UK’s leading lobbying and benefits group for small businesses 01253 336 000 www.fsb.org.uk
Acas Britain’s employment relations organisation 08457 47 47 47 (helpline) www.acas.org.uk www.stonewall.org.uk/workplace
HELLO, CAN YOU SEND ME 50 GUIDES FOR GAY STAFF ? AND TELL ME MORE ABOUT THIS PINK POUND!
