Showing up with pride
Showing up with pride
To boost team and financial performance on a core level, the data is unmistakably clear. Companies committed to diversity and inclusion significantly outperform the rest, according to a recent McKinsey Diversity Matters report.
For HR leaders, prioritizing inclusivity signals your commitment to a diverse workforce, improving both retention and employee satisfaction. As we celebrate our LGBTQIA+ community this month, here are three tips to create a workplace where everyone feels welcomed and valued.
Tip 1: Share and ask for pronouns
Inclusion is all in the details, particularly when it comes to pronouns. Sharing your pronouns can help make it the cultural norm at your workplace, signaling to others that it's safe and easy to offer theirs too.
Here are some places to share and add your pronouns if you don't already:
- As part of your email signature
- Next to your name in virtual meetings
- During workshops and conferences
Always ask rather than assume someone's pronouns. It shows respect and demonstrates a commitment to diversity and inclusion by using a person's preferred name and pronouns consistent with their gender identity. If you slip up and use the wrong pronoun, that's okay — a simple self-correction and apology is all that's needed.
Tip 2: Make help easy to access
LGBTQIA+ adults are more than twice as likely as heterosexual adults to experience a mental health condition. For transgender individuals, the numbers are nearly four times as high.
Dr. Patrick Portiz, a One Medical provider based in West Hollywood, has had firsthand experience with some of the barriers that LGBTQIA+ patients face in getting adequate care.
"As a physician and a patient, I have seen firsthand the difficulties facing the LGBTQIA+ community. I have often felt embarrassed, and that my concerns were just swept under the rug without getting a resolution."
Judgment-free, easy-to-access mental health benefits are crucial to support a diverse workforce. Bonus points if employees can access them directly through their primary care provider, like at One Medical. As Dr. Portiz noted,
"As a family physician, I am open to all my patients leaving no stone unturned, asking their medical, social, psychological, and sexual health questions, and helping to make them feel empowered as advocates for their health."
From behavioral health services to same-day appointments and prescription refills, benefits that come with ease of use and without stigma help employees show up as their best selves, and signal that their employer values their health and well-being.
Tip 3: Offer inclusive care
When employees have access to providers who deliver knowledgeable and stigma-free care, they are more likely to seek care early, communicate openly about their health, and stay engaged in their wellbeing, leading to better outcomes and lower long-term costs.
Inclusive care starts with crucial steps like including a 'nonbinary' option on forms, asking for pronouns, and offering all-gender bathrooms at offices. It's also important to have providers who can relate to the unique experiences and challenges the LGBTQIA+ community faces.
As Amy Stulman, a nurse practitioner with One Medical, described,
"As a gay person myself, I understand the personal importance of having a provider who is willing to hear my perspective and understands the dynamics of the LGBTQIA+ community. I really enjoy working with LGBTQIA+ patients because I feel they're still very underserved, and it's rewarding to offer them care."
Welcome inclusive care into your benefits strategy
By offering access to compassionate, human-centered care, you can ensure every employee is confident in and trusts their healthcare provider. At One Medical, our providers include members of the LGBTQIA+ community who aim to offer inclusive and judgment-free care.
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Learn more about how One Medical can help your employees to stay healthy here.