Straight Talk about Gays in the Workplace, Second Edition

Author(s):                       Liz Winfeld, Susan Spielman

Gays in the workplace?! As a manager, you are probably thinking you have more pressing issues to be concerned about than spending (read ´wasting´) time reading or even concerning yourself with this topic. But what if I told you that ignoring this issue will hurt you where you´ll feel it the most - at your bottom line. Actually, this is very possible. If you have spent thousands of dollars on diversity training and invested hours trying to create comprehensive company policies without addressing the issue of sexual orientation, chances are you have isolated a significant portion of your workforce. This isolation is likely to lead to stress in the workplace and affect your worker´s productivity rates. You are losing money if you are not addressing this issue!

Target Audience

This book will appeal to a senior executive, manager, HR professional, benefits administrator and anyone who works with someone who is gay.

Anyone who reads this book is likely to get valuable insight into the experiences of the gay community in the workplace.

CONTENTS

Chapter 1                       Points of reference

Chapter 2                       Sexual orientation at work: The business case

Chapter 3                       Myths and Facts: Sexual orientation in business and society

Chapter 4                       Specific strategies for inclusion of sexual orientation in the workplace

Chapter 5                       Designing and delivering sexual orientation education in the workplace

Chapter 6                       The ins and outs of domestic partner benefits

Chapter 7                       Legalized same-sex relationships and their effect on employment

Chapter 8                       The FAQs of the matter

Appendix A:                       Domestic Partner Benefits

Appendix B:                       Sample Affidavit for Domestic Partners

Appendix C:                       Sample Announcement Form

Appendix D:                       Sample Termination Agreement

Appendix E:                       General Employment/ENDA

Appendix F:                       The Hate Crimes Bill (Proposed as of 1/1/2000)

Notes

Additional Readings

Index

What this book is all about

ü         The business case for full inclusion of sexual orientation in diversity initiatives

ü         Mythology versus fact, laws, policies, and public opinion on a range of business and social issues that concern sexual orientation in the workplace

ü         Specific strategies for dealing proactively and reactively with full inclusion of sexual orientation

ü         An in-depth examination of workplace sexual orientation education programs

ü         A presentation of all the salient facts related to domestic partner benefits (DPBs)

ü         An analysis of the effect that the possible legalization of same-sex marriage could have on organizations of all kinds (primary) in the United States

ü         The most frequently asked questions about sexual orientation in the workplace that cover a range of issues, concerns, and challenges

ü         A list of resources, references, and so forth for additional information or research

Features

• Survey data

• Business examples

• Highlights of milestones in the struggle of gays

• Issues surrounding gays in terms of politics, religion, and family

• Provides specific strategies for full inclusion. For example, nondiscrimination policies, education programs, domestic partner benefits, employee/management alliances, brown bag meetings, change Agent Strategies, dealing with spirituality/religion, mentoring and coming-out coaches, internal and external community outreach initiatives and developing and maintaining internal information resources.

• Provides guidance for designing a sexual orientation education program

• AIDS in the workplace

• Provides an overview of the employer´s rights and responsibilities in terms of providing domestic partners benefits for specific benefits such as medical/dental, pension plans, term life insurance, employee stock ownership,...

Summary

The authors are not afraid to admit that diversity in the workplace attracts attention because of economics. That is, organizations work on diversity initiatives to enhance the competitive edge of the corporation. Diversity management is a business issue rather than just a HR issue. The book refers to the Gay and Lesbian Values Index (GLV Index) which has been designed to be able to assign a value to organizational policies based on criteria such as: publicly supported nonprofit or political gay interest groups, evaluate the incorrect use of "sexual preference" as compared to "sexual orientation". It is important for the reader to realize that acknowledging sexual orientation pays off for the organization rather than punishing it. The authors suggest that discrimination is bad business. Alternatively, increased public support for equal treatment means that "when an organization is fully inclusive, it is also fully in step with the majority of its employees, patrons, clients, customers, and other stakeholders" and this is likely to help your bottom-line.

The main purpose of the authors is to instill the importance of education concerning this topic. The authors acknowledge that gays are no longer easy targets for discrimination. This is not only because they are standing up for themselves but also because others are being educated and are becoming more aware of the need for greater tolerance. In the book, a lot of time is spent comparing the treatment of left-handed people in the earlier part of the twentieth century to the treatment of gays today. The authors argue that people are inherently different and the book attempts to convey that being in the majority doesn´t necessarily equal being right.

Any HR manager should realize that gays represent a great resource for a ´talent-starved economy´. The main argument of the book is that it is in the interest of all workplaces to work to end discrimination based on sexual orientation for reasons of increased productivity and profitability.

Some of the points emphasized in the book are that "In the workplace, it is behavior; not beliefs, that must guide all our actions" and that "a person´s convictions, whatever their basis, can never be allowed to interfere with the principles of creating a positive work environment for all". Adhering to this advice should prove beneficial to any employer.

HR.COMmentary

This book is a great resource for any HR manager, Benefits administrator or Executive because it provides a great overview of why it is important for the bottom-line of organizations to have progressive and inclusive policies. In addition to the general overview, the book also provides practical advice and processes for implementing a diversity policy that addresses the issue of sexual orientation in the workplace. For example, a comprehensive guide to preparing a Domestic Partner Benefits proposal is provided. This section is likely to be great help for a benefits administrator.

If you can get past the initial chapter that takes you on a convoluted journey through the struggles of left-handed people, you will be glad that you persevered. The book is not a hard read. You can skip to the particular section that interests you and the writing style for the most part is clear and easy to understand.

The practical advice and step-by-step guide to implementing a policy concerning sexual orientation will prove very valuable for any organization.