Honoring Equality, Diversity, And Inclusion At eLearning Industry
The celebrations of Pride Month have officially kicked off at eLearning Industry. Sadly, this year we will celebrate this occasion remotely, as all the employees are working from home. There will not be a pizza Friday to give us a moment to appreciate the beginning of the month that honors individuality. All of us have been working really hard to run the campaign for Pride Month. And it’s even more challenging since the team has been divided for the last 4 months due to COVID-19. Pardon me, it’s not coming from a bad place. These times have been really crucial for understanding how important strong bonds are within the team.
As most of the Pride Parades have been canceled globally due to Coronavirus, we thought we should spread the word as much as possible. We might not be parading next to each other, but we can be together digitally for the same purpose! Where there’s a will, there’s a way, right?
A New Perspective Toward The LGBTQ+ Community
In a world where the landscape is quickly shifting, more and more individuals and businesses are becoming more acceptable and tolerant. This is great news if we consider the numbers that loudly demonstrate the facts of workplace discrimination: “Among LGBTQ people, 22% report personally experiencing discrimination because of their LGBTQ identity when it comes to being paid equally or being considered for promotions—and when seeking housing—and 20% report discrimination when applying for jobs” [1]. This is not only bad for LGBTQ+ employees who might suffer from severe mental issues like stress, isolation, depression, and such, but also, to a great extent, for businesses.
Nowadays, more and more people and employers are showing signs of sensitivity toward the matter, and are not intimidated by individuality. eLearning Industry is one of these organizations. Of course, it was never a topic of discussion, we were always doing what felt right. And inclusion, diversity, and individuality are always good when it comes to business and team bonding. Let me further explain the ways in which the business has been benefited from standing up for the LGBTQ+ community and from being against workplace discrimination so far.
Enabling Employees To Express Their Individuality
First of all, in our inclusive environment, employees are always welcome to share how they feel with the rest of the team and express themselves. In that way, we have managed to see lower stress levels. Therefore, work-related complaints and discomfort due to anxiety have been minimized. As individuals don’t spend time worrying about hiding their identity in the workplace, there’s more room for increased job satisfaction, socializing, and commitment to our culture. This enables individuals to grow and progress in the workplace and show their true skills and talents regardless of preference or gender.
Inclusion: A Win-Win Scenario
Moreover, we should not neglect the fact that companies benefit as much as individuals when implementing inclusion practices. Let’s dive into some points that can help your organization grow by showing respect and treating equally its employees:
- Discrimination lawsuits are out of the game, so you get less legal costs overall.
- The improved mental health of employees will result in lower health insurance costs.
- Attract more customers who are willing to collaborate with socially responsible companies.
- Expand your audience by reaching out to the LGBTQ+ community.
- LGBTQ+ customers demonstrate great brand loyalty for inclusion-friendly companies.
- Having happy employees means spending less on new talent acquisition and recruitment.
- Most importantly, you get to increase creativity, innovation, and new ideas in a diverse and open workplace.
With so many significant benefits for both your employees and your organization, I really don’t see any point in maintaining discrimination policies in your business practices.
eLearning Industry: A Safe Place For All
As I mentioned before, eLearning Industry is always embracing individuality. Our organization is a place of growth, both personal and professional. It is imperative to us that we have happy employees, an audience that feels safe to speak their minds, and content customers. Any form of discrimination is out of the question here. Besides knowing the vast benefits inclusion and equality can bring to the company and our employees, it is essential that we remain humane and sensitive. It is important to spread awareness and motivate more and more eLearning professionals to reflect on their practices.
By taking the initiative to share our viewpoint at eLearning Industry, we highly encourage eLearning professionals, L&D experts, and writers to share their own stories on our website. We are highly aware of the fact that our eLearning community would love to hear your opinions on the matter. Or your own stories, even best practices, and tips on implementing an inclusive policy in the workplace. We are asking you to openly take action and share your expertise, for which our community is thirsty.
Let’s all celebrate Pride Month together. Let's honor individuality, inclusion, and equality. Let’s make way for more diverse companies. In such difficult times, it’s important to stay united more than ever, and grow. We can learn how to grow together. We have so much to learn if we remain open-minded and sensitive. To conclude, my brothers and sisters, now it’s time to make a difference and have respect for each other. Happy Pride Month to all, I’m waiting to see more of your articles on eLearning Industry.
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