Creating A Diverse Workforce: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual And Transgender (LGBT) Inclusion Essay Examples

In the global marketplace, employers are faced with a myriad of issues regarding their workers; especially, where workers do not share certain absolute characteristics as them.  Some of the more obvious differences include race, gender or disability, however, when we talk about diversity on a global perspective, the list becomes longer. Now employers are faced with issues related to ethnicity, language, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, etc.  In our workplaces, classrooms, restaurants and other common areas of contact, we encounter individuals from different backgrounds and demographic affiliation than our own.  So, as companies seek to be leaders and set examples of corporate social responsibility, while building a productive and diverse workforce, they must address issues of discrimination in the workplace. Businesses that succeed in doing so, act decisively to eliminate discriminatory practices and, subsequently, create the conditions for diversity and equality of opportunity, and treatment in employment, often going beyond what is required of them by federal law.
Working for an employer with a corporate culture and established policies that resonate with the message of diversity, sensitivity and acceptance is important, as it not only reflects the organization’s willingness to do more than what is expected, or what is ethical, but it is also a reflection of my own personal views and morals; how can I work for an organization that makes employment decisions based on non-bona-fide position qualifications, what message am I sending as an employee, consumer and human being!
Promoting a diverse workforce is good for business; employment practices and decisions, based on an individual’s gender, race, religion or other personal characteristics, is irrelevant to their performance at work, and restricts the available pool of workers and skills. Discrimination can also isolate a company from the community in which it operates and damage its reputation, potentially affecting profits.
While tackling these issues can be controversial and difficult, there are a growing number of companies engaged in good practice efforts and are actively reaching out among the communities, in which they operate. Among these companies, are implementing committees and advisory boards that specifically target issues more prevalent in the LGBT community, like domestic partnership, preventative care and wellness care; companies like Aetna, that have already taken a step forward in its efforts. Aetna is developing a coordinated, multidimensional approach to address health issues that are more prevalent among the LGBT population and to conduct outreach to the LGBT community. Aetna has also adopted LGBT-friendly workplace policies that include domestic partner benefits and nondiscrimination policies, covering sexual orientation and gender identity. By establishing these initiatives, companies are creating opportunities for previously alienated groups to participate in the labor market, and it is this type of media attention that would attract me to applying to a company like Aetna.
Moreover, as a tool to attract and retain the best talent, an organization’s economic growth is greatly impacted by the quality of benefits it can offer to employees; therefore, it is in the best interest, not only lawfully, but socially, for companies to adopt inclusive LGBT policies and benefits, especially, when considering LGBT individuals and the cost associated with offering a diverse benefit package.
Furthermore, organizations that have taken on the role of social responsibility and diversity to a level that exemplifies the desire to foster acceptance (i.e. Google, Apple, Aetna, Proctor & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, etc.) are more likely to have productive workers and lower attrition rates. However, to ensure this, it is necessary for companies to provide diversity training and create the awareness that there is no difference in, how people should be treated at workthey must make sure that their employees are all treated fairly and equally throughout the organization, regardless of any observed differences. Setting a standard of “zero tolerance” is essential to creating a tolerant and sensitive corporate culture. Businesses must be performance focused and let policies drive its people in a way that both can be productive and satisfied.