Friday Knowledge: LGBTQI in the workplace – feeling safe as opposition grows

How can employers create a sense of security for their staff whilst helping to combat negative attitudes towards LGBTQI people in society?

Attitudes towards LGBTQI people have deteriorated amongst young people, according to the Forum for Living History attitude survey . At the same time, RFSL’s safety survey that LGBTQI people experience significantly greater insecurity both in the workplace and in public spaces than the general population. The growing backlash against LGBTQI rights therefore places new and increasingly demanding requirements on employers.

Policies, Pride flags and good intentions are no longer enough. How do we create workplaces where people actually feel safe and can be themselves? How do employers deal with resistance and negative attitudes – both within their own organisation and in the wider world? And how can long-term inclusion initiatives strengthen the supply of talent, the working environment, culture and business operations?

You’ll hear from experts and employers in a discussion on how LGBTQI inclusion can move beyond mere values and symbolic gestures to become a concrete employer responsibility and business strategy that applies 365 days a year.

Contributors

Felix König – presenter 

Felix is the Secretary-General of RFSL, one of the world’s oldest LGBTQI organisations. He has been working on inclusion, equality and human rights within civil society and politics for the past 15 years. He also holds a Master of Arts in human rights. 

RFSL, the National Federation for the Rights of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transgender People, Queer People and Intersex People, is a non-profit organisation founded in 1950. RFSL works towards an equal world where the human rights of all LGBTQI people are respected and no one is left behind.

Karin Fingal – Head of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion at Södra

Karin has extensive experience of issues relating to gender equality, inclusion, measures to prevent discrimination, and norm-critical perspectives within the voluntary sector, public administration and the private sector.

Södra Skogsägarna is actively working to create a more LGBTQI-inclusive working environment. The focus is primarily on raising awareness within the organisation, highlighting and discussing norms and macho culture, and empowering managers and leaders in their responsibility to ensure safe and inclusive workplaces for everyone.

Klas Bergström – Head of Trade Marketing, Category Management and E-commerce at Barilla

Klas Bergström explains how an unfortunate remark became the starting point for successful work on diversity and inclusion within the group. He shares key success factors from the global D&I work and discusses local initiatives in Sweden, such as the integration project in Filipstad and the LGBTQI certification through RFSL.

Klas gives specific examples of how this work has influenced Barilla’s corporate culture and approach to diversity, and how a challenge can be turned into a real strength.

Oscar Österberg – Forum for Living History

Oscar Österberg is a historian and research co-ordinator at the Forum for Living History.

Further information about the speakers and other details will be published here on an ongoing basis. The webinars can also be viewed afterwards on our Knowledge bank.

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