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31 Jul 2023

Bisexuals - the forgotten workplace minority

Do you feel left out of diversity and inclusion initiatives?

 

In many parts of the world, there are legislative provisions that protect people in the workplace from being discriminated against because of their sexual orientation.
This legal obligation has been enhanced in many workplaces, where companies have implemented robust policies and initiatives to support LGBTQ employees, supported by initiatives to raise awareness across the wider workforce as to the issues that LGBTQ people often encounter within the workplace.
While, in many countries, employers have been able to demonstrate real progress in building the visibility and confidence of gay and lesbian employees, a general lack of understanding and knowledge about bisexuality seems to have resulted in bisexual people remaining largely invisible within these workplace initiatives.
In the UK, advocacy group Stonewall runs an annual workplace survey. Their findings suggest that bisexual men and women are around seven times more likely to disguise their sexual orientation in the workplace.
As part of their work to support bisexual men and women in the workplace, Stonewall have produced a guide for employers, but it seems that even some of the UK’s most highly rated companies — from an LGBT employee perspective — are still struggling to find how best to support their bisexual employees.
Part of the challenge for employers is that while they may have established an LGBTQ employee network, and put a lot of effort into LGBTQ initiatives generally, this may not be enough to reach out and engage with bisexual employees.
For example, according to a spokesperson for multinational technology company IBM:
‘IBM doesn’t differentiate between lesbian, bisexual, gay or transgender employees. Our efforts to support employees and to generate wider awareness expressly includes bisexual employees — there are bisexual IBM employees who are a part of our LGBTQ network, who participate in our LGBTQ mentoring initiative and who actively contribute to making IBM a diverse and inclusive place to work.’
It’s a similar story for US-based consumer goods manufacturer Procter & Gamble. Spokesperson Mary Ralles confirms that Procter & Gamble doesn’t have any monitoring data that specifically relates to its bisexual employees — rather they take a one-size-fits-all approach through their LGBTQ employee network that is active in helping to ensure that mentoring and coaching is available to all LGBTQ employees.
According to Ralles:
‘Key to Proctor & Gamble’s diversity strategy is inclusion, so our efforts are around ensuring that everyone feels included, enabling all of our employees to perform at their peak and bring their whole self to work every day.’
However this type of inclusive approach by employers is probably not enough to meet the specific needs of bisexual employees. Too often, stereotypical assumptions and beliefs about bisexual people and their lives — from both straight and queer people — mean that they feel unable to access the very initiatives that are meant to support them. This lack of awareness and understanding can leave bisexual men and women feeling marginalised and stigmatised
Stonewall advises employers looking to enhance their support for their bisexual employees to consider the following points:
Sexual orientation schemes or single equality schemes should include references to bisexual inclusion with mention of the unique issues bisexual people face in the workplace.
While recognising the value of using ‘gay’ as shorthand to help simplify communications, when writing policy and strategies the full words — Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans — should be used. Using ‘gay’ as shorthand for LGBTQ in a sexual orientation strategy can give bisexual staff the impression that the policy or procedure does not apply to them.
Sexual orientation strategies should make reference to any bisexual-specific initiatives or programs that workplaces develop.
Staff benefit policies should highlight that they are available to employees in both opposite-sex and same-sex relationships.
Bisexual staff should be consulted in the development or review of relevant policies.
One of the most successful strategies for engaging with LGBTQ employees, and promoting equality in the workplace, is for employers to support and encourage the formation of LGBTQ employee networks — generally a forum that enables LGBTQ employees to connect with each other, create social and professional networking opportunities, and advise the organisation on issues relating to LGBTQ employees.
However, Stonewall’s research has found that bisexual men and women often feel excluded from LGBTQ employee networks as these are perceived to primarily cater for lesbians and gay men, with little participation by bisexual employees and no focus on bisexual issues.
Stonewall’s advice to employers is that bisexual staff can be encouraged to more actively participate in LGBTQ networks by:
Nominating a bisexual officer who is responsible for advising the network on current issues and leading on bisexual inclusion.
Holding an awareness raising event with a guest speaker from the bisexual community.
Planning an event around bisexual workplace issues, open to all staff and publicised throughout the organisation.
Developing an electronic network and idea sharing system to encourage participation from bisexual staff who feel uncomfortable attending meetings.
Ensuring bisexual members are represented on steering groups and committees, therefore encouraging bisexual colleagues to become role models and advocates.
Ensuring the network has a well-publicised confidentiality policy.
Holding both ‘open’ and ‘closed’ meetings allowing bisexual staff to come to open events without having to disclose their sexual orientation.
Offering to meet potential members of the network for coffee half an hour before meetings to introduce them to the network and make them feel comfortable.
Employers are operating in an increasingly complex world, and the push for a diversity of talent combined with the aspiration for equality for all employees, is continuing to challenge even the most progressive organisations.
Having embraced the principle that top performing companies need to demonstrate their commitment to inclusion — to their current and potential employees — finding a way to engage and support bisexual employees is something that clearly requires further work.

In many parts of the world, there are legislative provisions that protect people in the workplace from being discriminated against because of their sexual orientation.

This legal obligation has been enhanced in many workplaces, where companies have implemented robust policies and initiatives to support LGBTQ employees, supported by initiatives to raise awareness across the wider workforce as to the issues that LGBTQ people often encounter within the workplace.

While, in many countries, employers have been able to demonstrate real progress in building the visibility and confidence of gay and lesbian employees, a general lack of understanding and knowledge about bisexuality seems to have resulted in bisexual people remaining largely invisible within these workplace initiatives.

Workplace surveys by LGBTQ organisations suggest that bisexual men and women are around seven times more likely to conceal their sexual orientation in the workplace than those who identify as gay or lesbian.

Research indicates that some of the most highly rated companies — from an LGBTQ employee perspective — are still struggling to find how best to support their bisexual employees.

Part of the challenge for employers is that while they may have established an LGBTQ employee network, and put a lot of effort into LGBTQ initiatives generally, this may not be enough to reach out and engage with bisexual employees.

Too often, stereotypical assumptions and beliefs about bisexual people and their lives — from both straight and queer people — mean that they may feel unable to access the very initiatives that are meant to support them. This lack of awareness and understanding can leave bisexual men and women feeling marginalised and stigmatised.

Employers looking to enhance their support for their bisexual employees could consider the following approaches:

  • Sexual orientation schemes or single equality schemes should include references to bisexual inclusion with mention of the unique issues bisexual people face in the workplace.
  • While recognising the value of using ‘gay’ as shorthand to help simplify communications, when writing policy and strategies the full words — Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans — should be used. Using ‘gay’ as shorthand for LGBTQ in a sexual orientation strategy can give bisexual staff the impression that the policy or procedure does not apply to them.
  • Sexual orientation strategies should make reference to any bisexual-specific initiatives or programs that workplaces develop.
  • Staff benefit policies should highlight that they are available to employees in both opposite-sex and same-sex relationships.
  • Bisexual staff should be consulted in the development or review of relevant policies.

One of the most successful strategies for engaging with LGBTQ employees, and promoting equality in the workplace, is for employers to support and encourage the formation of LGBTQ employee networks — generally a forum that enables LGBTQ employees to connect with each other, create social and professional networking opportunities, and advise the organisation on issues relating to LGBTQ employees.

However, research suggests that bisexual men and women often feel excluded from LGBTQ employee networks as these are perceived to primarily cater for lesbians and gay men, with little participation by bisexual employees and no focus on bisexual issues.

Bisexual staff can be encouraged to more actively participate in LGBTQ networks by:

  • Nominating a bisexual officer who is responsible for advising the network on current issues and leading on bisexual inclusion.
  • Holding an awareness raising event with a guest speaker from the bisexual community.
  • Planning an event around bisexual workplace issues, open to all staff and publicised throughout the organisation.
  • Developing an electronic network and idea sharing system to encourage participation from bisexual staff who feel uncomfortable attending meetings.
  • Ensuring bisexual members are represented on steering groups and committees, therefore encouraging bisexual colleagues to become role models and advocates.
  • Ensuring the network has a well-publicised confidentiality policy.
  • Holding both ‘open’ and ‘closed’ meetings allowing bisexual staff to come to open events without having to disclose their sexual orientation.
  • Offering to meet potential members of the network for coffee half an hour before meetings to introduce them to the network and make them feel comfortable.

Employers are operating in an increasingly complex world, and the push for a diversity of talent combined with the aspiration for equality for all employees, is continuing to challenge even the most progressive organisations.

Having embraced the principle that top performing companies need to demonstrate their commitment to inclusion — to both their current and their potential employees — finding a way to engage and support bisexual employees is something that clearly requires further work.

读者回应

1. 2023-01-29 12:37  
There are more bisexuality than the homosexual according to the research conducted by writer of Rivers of Rainbow. I could not leave the site as Fridae does not permit that, You can search for Kinsey Scale Test and let your friends do it and to see how many of them are bisexuality instead of homosexuality.
2. 2023-08-03 16:18  
A most interesting article. Well written. With some good insights.

I've been around a long time and I've had a few bisexual lovers. One was with me for seven years. It was good while it lasted, and I was ultra careful to not get too close to his "other" life, which basically meant ignoring the aspect of his life with his wife and one child. I stayed well out of that and I was content to share him with her. I never did find out if she knew about me. I did meet her one time, socially, and we got on well, in a basic sort of way. Never found out if she knew about me at all, or who I was. Some things have to stay a mystery. This was one.

In the end he decided to go "more gay" and got into the scene. Met a few gay men at discos et al, was cruised and picked up a lot which suited his fragile ego, had a few casual affairs, started staying away and then lying to me. So I ended it. He left her for a man, or she may have thrown him out when she found out what a crap shot he was, the new fling lasted a short time, they broke up, and he lost both his wife and his lovers. Sad for him, but. But.

Some want it all. If you have a good man in your life, then well and good. If not, run like a gazelle when the going gets rough. Look after number one The realities blow apart the theories every time. Sh*t happens. No rules.

Basically, my bottom line is I would rather share a guy with a woman than with other men. Which says it all about me. And that's what matters to me.

Look after yourself in this dog eat dog world. Cats are infinitely better I say this tongue in cheek, but as a lifelong cat lover. When I eventually go if there is a heaven (no religious intent meant here, my mind is entirely open about this), then to me I would rather have it full of cats than people.

In the summing up, all real world ideas, this. Again, written tongue in cheek, lateral thinkers will understand, alphas won't but think sensibly about it...

With all due respect, DANN
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