Manchester, United kingdom
While challenges persist for LGBTQ+ employees (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other sexual identities) at work, some companies are working hard to create a positive and safe working environment for employees and customers, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity and expression. One of them is Virgin Atlantic.
Virgin Atlantic, the airline founded by entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson updated its gender identity policy to champion the individuality of Virgin Atlantic’s people and promote diversity and inclusion. One of the key elements was to remove the requirement for its people to wear gendered uniform options and offer pronoun badges for both customers and employees.
Research shows that three in 20 LGBTQ+ women believe their sexual orientation will negatively affect their career advancement at work. For LGBTQ+ men, this number is even higher, at six in 20. Data conducted by 3Gem on behalf of Virgin Atlantic During September 2022 across the UK find that allowing staff to embrace their individuality at work increases mental wellbeing (49%), feelings of happiness (65%) and creates a better experience for staff and customers (24%).
Launched as part of its ‘Be Yourself’ agenda, the policy enables them to wear clothing that expresses how they identify or present themselves, no matter their gender, gender identity, or gender expression. To reflect the diversity of the workforce and promote inclusivity, Virgin Atlantic’s colleagues will be able to choose either the red or the burgundy uniform, depending on which best reflects themselves, and whether to wear make-up, trousers, flat shoes, and even visible tattoos.
They also rolled out optional pronoun badges for all its people and those travelling with the airline. This move enables everyone to clearly communicate and be addressed by their pronouns. The badges are available to teams and customers since September 28th. The ticketing systems have also been updated to allow for those who hold passports with gender-neutral gender markers to select ‘U’ or ‘X’ gender codes on their booking as well as the gender-neutral title, ‘Mx’. Currently, citizens from countries like USA, India and Pakistan, can hold these passports and travelers must travel on the codes that match their passports.
The airline is also offering mandatory inclusivity training for its people at all levels across Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Atlantic Holidays as well as a series of inclusivity learning initiatives for tourism partners and hotels within destinations such as the Caribbean to ensure all our customers feel welcome.
Time to review the entire employee experience
Companies are faced with many barriers that prevent people from feeling equal. It’s time to review the entire employee experience, especially the experience of the minority workforce, and identify process weaknesses. Companies need to build DEI into their cultures. More innovation and resilience to change are possible in a company where employees’ differences are respected and ideas can be expressed freely. To retain minorities in the company, DEI must impact individual and team behaviors and must be embedded in the entire employee experience: recruiting, hiring, onboarding, engaging, performing, developing, even in the departing process, and also consider the impact on customers, partners and the community.
