Top 3 Do’s and Don’ts Your Healthcare Company Can Follow To Be More Inclusive In The Workplace

Often when healthcare companies think about making their company more inclusive; they focus on race. They figure out ways to onboard more people of color and people from different ethnic backgrounds. While that is one way to approach the conversation of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, sexuality and gender are excluded from these conversations. Here are 3 things you should and should not do to create a more inclusive environment for your LGBTQ+ employee:

DOs:

1. Educate Use the correct terminology to identify and/or refer to a colleague. Assuming that an employee identifies as gender binary is one of the biggest downfalls companies make, but you can avoid this through awareness. Implement a workshop or pamphlet of useful terms. Within these workshops aim to use the correct pronouns to refer to different individuals based on their gender identity and normalize the use of “they/them” pronouns with a handy pamphlet. You can learn more about gender identity here.

2. Acknowledge your employee’s preferred gender and name on business cards and company website

   Including your employee’s preferred pronoun and gender shows that you accept them for who they are. Create an expectation for customers who plan on using your healthcare company’s services. 

3. Introduce yourself using pronouns

   For example, “My name is Barbara. My pronouns are she/her/hers.” You are showing your employees that pronouns are important for an inclusive healthcare company. It reminds people to be mindful of gender pronouns.

   

DON'TS:

1. Make unwarranted public announcements

   
   As a director or manager, do not assume that because your employee “comes out” to you that they want everyone else in the company to know. Try to listen as much as possible about your employee’s feelings towards their identity and ask them what changes they would like to see. If your employee trusts you to tell you about a monumental moment in their life, be accepting.

2. Ask employees invasive questions about their body

   
   Many cisgender employees use their co-worker’s transition as an opportunity to learn more about the transition process. However, those questions can come off as invasive. If an employee feels comfortable enough to share the intricate details of their journey with you, provide a safe space to do so, but by no means should they feel pressure to share certain information.

3. Unwarranted comments

   
   Do not make comments such as “ you do not strike me as gay.” This creates the assumption that the transgender employees “pass” as cisgender. While this person might think they are giving a compliment, it puts the focus solely on one’s gender performance (appearance) rather than how they actually feel about their identity.

   

All in all, the aim to create a workplace environment that is inclusive of trans and LGTBQ+ healthcare employees is a step forward in the right direction. It will create a safer and more comfortable environment for both employees and customers in the healthcare spaces.