Pride At The Workplace

August 10 2023 TalktoAngel 0 comments 1519 Views

"PROMOTE RESPECT, INCLUSION, AND DIGNITY FOR EVERYONE (PRIDE) AT WORKPLACE”

How long is Pride Month?

You probably picture parades and a rainbow of colors when you think of "Pride," but did you realize that PRIDE stands for "Promote Respect, Inclusion, and Dignity for Everyone"? Originally a one-day event, Pride has grown to draw millions of people from all over the world to celebrate each year in honor of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in the USA, where protestors resisted police harassment of the LGBTQ+ community. Pride is commemorated each JUNE. To mark how far the movement has progressed, pride celebrations, workshops, and performances are now conducted frequently. Celebrating Pride at work has increased significantly over the past few years. Seeking online counselling at the workplace and engaging best EAP service provider in Asia shall help companies to improve PRIDE at the workplace.

Why is it crucial to recognize and celebrate Pride in the workplace?

An excellent method to advance equality inside the organization and raise understanding of the problems encountered by the LGBTQ+ population is to celebrate Pride in the workplace. Although openly supporting the LGBTQ+ community is always appreciated, it can be seen when support is not sincere. Never should showing support for the LGBTQ+ group simply be done "once a year"; doing so can come across as dismissive. Instead, it's crucial to demonstrate support all year long.

A great opportunity for education and advocacy of pro-equality legislation is presented by Pride celebrations at work. Make sure the firm's policies are inclusive of every employee's needs in order to treat them equally regardless of their sexual orientation if your company is preaching equality and inclusion to the general public through its marketing campaigns.

What can you do to celebrate Pride at work? Whether they are based locally or remotely, your team can benefit from Pride celebrations by feeling more included and having more opportunities for self-expression.

Additionally, by hosting this event, your business is demonstrating to the public that it values inclusiveness and diversity. Additionally, it demonstrates your support for equality and opposition to prejudice.

How do you spread the word about Pride at work?

Pride focuses on promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion. Here are some suggestions to assist you in making the most of it:

Devote yourself to learning more

The expression "knowledge is power" is well known. The more you are informed about the cause, the more impact your support will have. Having workshops with guest speakers who are knowledgeable about Pride's past and current challenges is one approach to promoting understanding inside the organization. We can better serve LGBTQ+ personnel if we have a deeper knowledge of these problems. Additionally, knowing the movement's goals and history prevents you from "guessing" the best method to assist, preventing you from alienating the people you're trying to support.

Encourage the LGBTQ+ community.

Donating to an LGBTQ+ charity is one of the most practical and impactful things a business can do to celebrate Pride. You might offer to match employee donations or make a sizeable financial gift to any non-profit organization of your choice. Contributing to non-profit groups will assist your business in achieving its diversity and inclusion goals and in putting corporate principles into practice. Donations are not the only way to show support for Pride at work, though. Your staff employees can be urged to volunteer or spread the word about the many organizations they support.

Participate in an online Pride procession.

It's possible that your remote and hybrid teams won't be able to attend the Pride parade in person. You can provide them a way to watch the Pride parade from home, though. A lot of LGBTQ+ organizations stream Pride parades online. You can plan a live-stream event for your team by contacting the Pride organizations in your area.

It makes sense to encourage groups of LGBTQ+ team members to watch Pride parades online if you can't convince your team to go in person. By inviting non-LGBTQ+ people to take part in the marches, you can demonstrate your support for the community.

Pay attention to workers who prefer not to be in the spotlight.

Coming out to celebrate your sexuality is the main focus of Pride Month. However, a lot of people who identify as LGBTQ+ do not feel secure or at ease discussing their sexuality with others. It's acceptable for some people to still be unclear about their sexuality. Nevertheless, avoid highlighting any particular staff. You could request volunteers to share their experiences as an alternative. Additionally, make sure to thank staff members who put their time and effort into Pride-related activities.

Invest in an Employee Assistance Program

Employee Assistance Programs are not only beneficial for the productivity, efficiency, and growth of your company but also for your employees. Mae sure to choose an EAP that provides Queer Affirmative Therapy as well, so as to take care of the mental health of LGBTQA+ members.

Contributed by: Dr (Prof) R K Suri, Clinical Psychologist, Counsellor, & Life Coach & Ms. Varshini Nayyar, Psychologist