LGBTQ-friendly business cultures start at the top

telegraph.co.uk /connect/small-business/lgbtq-friendly-business-cultures-start-at-the-top/

Anna Isaac 07/07/2017

From setting a top-down example to not making LGBTQ issues a box-ticking

exercise, small businesses and industry experts share some pointers on
inclusion.
Its called the glass closet the fear of discrimination at work that results in people hiding their LGBTQ (lesbian,
gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) identity.

According to a 2016 study by Credit Suisse, 72pc of US LGBTQ senior executives have not come out at the
office. However, over six years, those companies that had an inclusive approach to staff outperformed their rivals
by 3pc.

So if UK small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) are going to capitalise on the 3.3 million potential
workers and consumers who identify themselves as something other than heterosexual, or the estimated
300,000 to 500,000 trans people in Britain, what sort of a culture should they create?

Zo Chowney, managing director of Tax Relief Biz, a trans woman who recently came out in her professional life,
believes that creating an inclusive culture at a smaller business is far easier if leaders go public about their own
identities.

Its vital that leaders set the example and help to empower others to follow their lead, she says. Being openly
out shows employees and the wider business community that this is okay and will hopefully inspire confidence
for others to follow suit.

Iain Anderson, chief executive of the Cicero Group, whos openly gay, agrees. Leaders are very visible in SMEs
more so than in larger corporate organisations, so they have a bigger role to play
[when it comes to inclusion].

"SMEs need to make it clear that theyre open and accepting in employee handbooks"Zo Chowney, Tax Relief
Biz

Chief executives who are out acknowledge that it takes considerable confidence to
go public with your sexuality or gender identity, but add that this can be bolstered by exploring LGBTQ
networking opportunities.

At the request of its members, the Institute of Directors launched a Pride in Business Network on Friday, a
specialist networking group for LGBTQ business leaders.

For Ms Chowney, such networks are best run when they encourage non-LGBTQ people who are positive about
the community (often called allies) to attend events too, as it prevents a sense of isolation, and can help all
business owners to consider how best to create an inclusive atmosphere in the office.

This will also help to reassure LGBTQ businesspeople that the world is generally accepting, she says.

And when it comes to small businesses, Mr Anderson believes that start-ups and established SMEs are often
better able to create dynamic and open atmospheres than their larger counterparts. They tend to
be younger, with less old traditional entrenched views and cultures to weed out, he explains.

But he does acknowledge that finding professional mentors or support groups, as an LGBTQ employee or
executive, can be easier in large metropolitan centres than rural towns.

However, there are actions that all small businesses can take to ensure that theyre making all staff feel
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welcomed: They need to make it clear that theyre open and accepting in employee handbooks and other
literature. SMEs can further reinforce this by supporting local
LGBTQ initiatives and organisations.

Any business owner trying to find such groups can use the search tool on the website of LGBTQ charity,
Stonewall.

According to Laura Hindley, an LGBTQ worker, an office with an emphasis on supporting diversity is attractive as
it illustrates that a company is committed to reflecting a modern-day society.

However, there are still areas on which professional environments can improve.

Questions such as: whos going to have your baby? or do you even want children? are directed at LGBTQ
employees too often in an office," says Ms Hindley. "Companies could prevent this uncomfortable line of
questioning by providing internal training on the relevant issues."

Stephen Martin, director general of the Institute of Directors, says that business managers must avoid making
LGBTQ issues a box-ticking corporate social responsibility (CSR) exercise. Instead, treat it as a fundamentally
important way to make your business more responsive to customers and society at large.

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