Is your workplace open to non-binary people?
The talent of an employee does not depend on gender. The real potential lies in man. In June – Pride Month – the idea of equality and openness to other people is promoted around the world. On this occasion, Great Place To Work decided to look at the challenges faced by non-binary people.
It is assumed that in Poland, non-binary and transgender people constitute 1.6% of the adult population. It is estimated that there may be about 200,000 professionally active non-binary people. The way the company provides them with friendly working conditions – or excludes them – will have an impact both on those who identify as transgender or non-binary and those who have such people among friends or family members.
So what can companies do to create a safer and more welcoming environment for non-binary and transgender employees? Great Place To Work asked one of its employees who identifies as non-binary about this. Kyndle DelCollo, talking about his experience so far, emphasizes that the team leader has the greatest influence on how the integration in the workplace takes place.
Kyndle DelCollo describes herself as a person who was lucky with the boss, specifically the boss. Not only did she naturally pick up on what pronouns to use, but she also avoided phrases like 'ladies’, 'boys’, and other gender-specific terms when addressing team members. It was agreed collectively in the team not to correct other people in the forum if they happened to use incorrect pronouns during the meeting.
For their part, non-binary people should mark wherever possible what form of the pronoun to use in relation to them: in the footer of the e-mail, in the signature on Zoom, on business cards, and when introducing themselves, indicate their preferred forms.
Kyndle values special training organized by the friendliest companies. This is not about political correctness training, but about training how to be inclusive and create a more inclusive work environment.
While one person’s experience will not capture the full picture of non-binary people in the workplace, with so few testimonials from them, every voice matters and can make a difference. Even in great workplaces, non-binary or transgender people face a range of reactions from unwarranted curiosity to outright hostility. Companies that believe in the power of integration and are interested in attracting talent should be involved in creating a friendly environment for all employees.
The “For All™” approach is an essential element of the Great Place To Work® research methodology. It briefly and precisely captures what is the key objective of diversity and inclusion policy. It is not only an approach, but also a tool that allows companies to ensure that each employee evaluates their work experience as positive. Smart leaders are the beginning of a positive story.
Source: info. press
Supported by Norway through Norway Grants 2014-2021, in the frame of the Programme “Social Dialogue – Decent Work”.
