At Host, we have recently been researching the topic of Bullying in the workplace. We feel it’s important to delve more deeply into the specific kinds of bullying or harassment that affect certain groups, as these are complex topics in their own right.
So today’s blog examines what ‘bullying’ or discrimination can look like specifically for the LGBTQIA+ community, as well as some ways we can prevent and manage it.
Stonewalls guide on ‘Preventing the bullying and harassment of gay employees’ states:
“Employers are legally obliged to protect their employees from bullying and harassment. All staff have been further protected since 2003 from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.”
The key difference between bullying and discrimination is that the latter describes victimisation on the basis of a specific trait or quality. This is often an identifier of a marginalised group, such as race or ethnicity, religion and faith, in this case, sexual orientation, and many other factors.
Protection against bullying which specifically targets LGBTQIA+ colleagues is not only required by law but stands to benefit both the individuals in question and their organisation at large.
We live in a rapidly changing world, where it can be easy to take for granted that things are ‘so much better now’. However, even in the most privileged and progressive of environments, incidents of homophobia and other discrimination still occur and are often of a more subtle and insidious kind.
Organisations with a great ethos and rigorous hiring practises naturally hope that homophobia or hatred of any kind would never occur within their team, and therefore there’s no need to think about how it would be stamped out. However, things are often not so black and white. Unconscious bias can be present anywhere, even among the most well-meaning and open-minded; this is why constant learning is essential. In fact, even the simple mindset where employers assume there is no problem with LGBTQIA+ discrimination within their organisation, instead of taking a moment to do the research or open a dialogue with colleagues in the LGBTQIA+ community, could be considered an issue in itself. It may cause those colleagues to feel unheard, or to fear that they will ‘rock the boat’ or insult leaders who believe so strongly in the culture they have built, by speaking up on any areas for improvement.
A leader close to Host uses a phrase about ‘Improving, not Proving’. In essence, this teaches that instead of (in this context) showing the world you have a great culture of inclusion and an enlightened mindset by demonstrating that ‘there are no problems’, you should instead spend your time seeking out the problems where they may be hidden. It’s here that you will be able to learn and grow by assessing what maybe doesn’t work as well as you thought.
So, what are some creative ways that you can look to patch any hidden problems in your organisation's Diversity and Inclusion practises?
Recognise what harassment is, in all its many forms:
We often have fixed ideas about what constitutes any kind of ‘bullying’, including the idea that it must be sustained, malicious, or even physically harmful to qualify as such. But harassment especially in this context encompasses any action, no matter how small it may appear to others and no matter the frequency, that causes an LGBTQIA+ employee to feel humiliated, degraded, offended, or creates a feeling of a hostile environment.
Some examples:
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What is considered ‘banter’ in some environments may indeed be discriminatory.
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Unnecessary references to someone’s sexual orientation, even if not malicious in nature, may make colleagues uncomfortable at work; likewise asking intrusive questions even without realising that they are inappropriate, is a behaviour to warn against within your team through education.
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Excluding a colleague from social situations or activities because of their sexuality would also be considered an example of bullying.
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Making assumptions about a colleague's life or identity, based on their sexuality may be offensive and alienating.
Check for ‘Reporting barriers’
What if the policy is in place but colleagues often don’t use the available lines of communication? They may not feel welcome to.
We’ve spoken before on Host about how Inclusion is about a feeling of belonging, and policy on paper is not enough without the reinforcement of a genuine culture of support. If your policies are not wholly embraced by the team and leadership, victims of bullying or harassment may not come forward through the appropriate channels due to any of these obstacles:
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Fear of being judged as ‘overreacting’
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Not trusting in their manager, or not wanting to come out to a colleague in order to tackle the problem.
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The culture of bullying is normalised.
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Lack of confidence in follow-up actions by their employer.
Make it cohesive
Put in place a policy of zero tolerance to all kinds of discrimination, harassment or bullying, as “Stonewall has found that organisations which tackle anti-gay bullying and harassment will tend to be organisations which deal with all types of bullying and harassment effectively.”
Model the right behaviour so it spreads through your organisation's culture. When leaders are clear on principles, employees receive a positive example on how to act.
Engage with your LGBTQIA+ staff. It’s important that they feel seen and heard, and it’s equally important that leadership learn from first-hand perspectives. Create a setting where those colleagues can speak up without fear.
Implement at every level and keep refreshing your collective knowledge by using the tools of leadership, training, consultation and communication. Leadership to set a precedent, training to outline your policy and to signpost access to support, consultation to open lines of communication and bring in expertise, and communication to ensure you keep up to date and in touch with all colleagues.
if you've been affected by the issues explored in this blog or have a perspective to share, we'd love to hear from you in the comments.
