Thursday, November 15th – Out & Equal released an important new guide detailing specific best practices for ensuring non-binary inclusivity in the workplace. The organization unveils this resource at a critical time in the fight for LGBTQ workplace equality. With the Administration’s targeted efforts against the LGBTQ community, particularly those who identify as transgender or non-binary, fostering a culture of belonging in the workplace has never been more important.
The guide, which draws upon insight from Out & Equal’s many partners as well as cutting-edge resources in the arena of diversity and inclusion[1], provides a solid framework for implementing a greater awareness and understanding of non-binary identity in the workplace.
Unfortunately, a majority of non-binary individuals remain closeted in the workplace. In fact, only 33% of non-binary/gender non-conforming individuals reported being out at work.[2] Furthermore, additional research indicates almost half (45%) of non-binary individuals had experienced negative incidents at work on a monthly, or even more frequent basis.[3]
Through simple changes in language and procedures, businesses can make an incredible difference in alleviating the occurrence of these negative experiences. The guide—which reviews basic concepts surrounding gender, gender neutral language, pronouns, facilities, and more—is released with the aim of encouraging companies and employees to develop greater empathy and awareness of non-binary identities in order to create spaces of belonging.
Out & Equal CEO, Erin Uritus, states “Belonging is our holy grail. It’s the ideal we should always aspire to achieve in our diversity and inclusion initiatives, and it is precisely the kind of environment we hope to create for the non-binary community in the workplace every single day.”