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How can you tell if you will be honored at a job? What does it mean to have a position where you are honored? Isn’t work only supposed to be that place you go to every day until you retire? No, actually. Everyone needs money to survive, but you can choose where that money comes from. If a potential workplace won’t honor you, why work there? Wouldn’t you prefer to work somewhere where they share your values? A place where you feel safe being your authentic self? An LGBT-friendly workplace where you don’t have to hide your identity? A company hires you, but you also hire that company. Not literally, of course, but metaphorically. You can learn more about your worth as a worker here. This Pride Month, we’d like to celebrate with this idea: LGBTQ+ Work Where you are Honored.
You might be wondering why we brought this topic up specifically for Pride. Unfortunately, many members of the LGBTQIA+ community are not honored where they work. A LinkedIn study found that 1 in 4 participants kept their identities a secret at work out of fear. One-fourth also said that they had left a position because they felt unaccepted. Some participants reported blatant discrimination in their workplace. Everyone deserves to work where they are honored. Unfortunately, that can be harder for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. So how can you tell when a company will treat you right?
Here are some signs that a company is inclusive and will treat you right:
A simple yet important thing to consider is how a company treats pronouns. Learning a person’s pronouns is essential to treating them with respect. This doesn’t only apply to trans or gender non-conforming folks. If you are applying to a company and they fail to ask for your pronouns or offer their own, try bringing it up yourself. If you ask for their pronouns and they respond negatively, then it’s time to get out of there. No paycheck is worth working with someone who jokes about “identifying as an attack helicopter.” You can find a workplace that treats you with dignity. A company with employees who disregard pronouns doesn’t deserve you or your talent.
We all know that June is the month for the queer community to celebrate diverse identities. It’s also the time for soulless corporations to shill out rainbow-colored merch for that sweet, gay money. A company participating in Pride Month doesn’t mean they are allies. Check for pride content outside of Pride Month when applying for a job. Is their pro-LGBTQIA+ stance one they only take every June, or is their support year-round? A great way to find out is by checking a company’s affiliation with specific organizations.
To find a company that will value you, you’re going to need to do some research. But where do you even start? Luckily for you, we found three resources that can help you determine if a company is for you.
The LGBT Chamber of Commerce: The national Chamber of Commerce’s site can be found here, but it’s best to find your own state’s LGBT chamber of commerce. Businesses that are a part of the chamber of commerce donate money to the organization. This money is then used to elevate LGBTQIA+ businesses.
The Business Coalition for the Equality Act: Members of this coalition are working towards equality for all LGBTQIA+ employees. They are advocating for and trying to pass The Equality Act. If passed, the Equality Act would ensure that members of the LGBTQIA+ would receive the same protections as other marginalized groups under federal law.
The Corporate Equality Index: Finally, we have the Corporate Equality Index (CEI). Unlike the previous two examples, companies don’t opt into membership. Rather, the CEI assesses all companies for inclusivity. The index rates companies on how well they treat their LGBTQIA+ employees. Companies that treat these employees exceptionally well and receive 100 percent marks are given the official stamp of approval.
Some companies, aka the good ones, will offer inclusive benefits to their employees. For example, same-sex couples will get the same benefits as heterosexual couples. Or offer time off for adoption. They could also support their employees through medical transition with coverage and time-off. There are a lot of wonderful, inclusive benefits a company can offer. If a company is offering these benefits, you can be confident that the workplace will be an accepting one. Hopefully, all workplaces will one day provide this same, basic support. Until then, it’s something you should check to see if an employer offers.
Before you work for any company, you need to do your research on them. It can be tempting to take the first job that comes your way, but if you can’t be yourself, then you are not going to be happy. Don’t be fooled by surface-level “pride” and do real research into what the company stands for and believes in.
You will be spending a lot of time at your job, whatever it is. For the sake of your mental health, you should feel safe and comfortable there. If you need help on your journey to finding a job where you are respected, visit us at Super Purposes so we can help! We want all LGBTQ+ to Work Where you are Honored.
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From an early age, I’ve always loved to read and write. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to make a career out of these passions, but thanks to Super Purposes I could. Now I want to be able to help others make careers out of their passions as well.
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