today at randstad we are celebrating Wear it Purple Day to show solidarity with LGTBQI+ colleagues, clients and candidates.
Wear it Purple Day is an initiative that encourages people to wear something purple on the 28th of August each year to champion diversity and raise awareness about creating inclusive experiences for those who identify as LGBTQI+.
To advocate for our LGBTQI+ community in a fun way whilst working from home, we asked Randstad staff members to get creative wearing purple, whether through purple clothing, purple accessories, purple makeup or even a purple wig!
To bring the team together, wearing purple clothes was accompanied by a virtual morning tea and some online games. All these activities are put on to show all staff that our LGBTQI+ people are free to be who they want to be at Randstad.
For me, celebrating Wear it Purple Day is personal. I have a brother who identifies as gay. Like many of those with LGBTQI+ family members, I sadly witnessed first-hand the devastating effects bullying and harassment had on him in high school.
Recently, I've taken up the role of General Manager for Diversity and Inclusion at Randstad. I am excited about the future, and my ambition is to encourage people to be their authentic selves at work. I acknowledge that our LGBTQI+ employees may have had a challenging journey to get to where they are, but I want them to know that at Randstad, they're valued. No one should come to work and endure what my brother did.
making LGBTQI+ employees feel appreciated helps improve their mental well-being and has been proven to boost their performance at work.
A recent Boston Consulting Group (BCG) survey found that almost half of LGBTQI+ employees (40%) routinely experience discrimination at work based on their sexual orientation. BCG's 2020 LGBTQI+ Employee Survey discovered that this discrimination against LGBTQI+ employees negatively impacts their performance, leaving them less innovative, less productive and less empowered.
The BCG survey also found that discrimination against LGBTQI+ employees and uninclusive company cultures significantly reduces an organisation's potential to recruit and retain LGBTQI+ staff. People who identify as LGBTQI+ are 7x more likely to decline a job offer and 13x more likely to resign at a company they believe does not have an LGBTQI+ inclusive workplace environment.
Randstad wants the inclusion of LGBTQI+ employees to be the norm. We know that embracing our LGBTQI+ staff members is the first step in being able to help our clients execute diversity policies and LGBTQI+ inclusion plans.
For me, embracing Wear it Purple Day at Randstad is a way to support the LGBTQI+ community within our business and express our gratitude for the fantastic work our LGBTQI+ employees do daily. It also signifies that we're continually working towards finding innovative ways to foster a company culture that is entirely LGBTQI+ inclusive.
celebrating Wear it Purple Day at your workplace is simple.
Once you’ve registered your Wear it Purple event, all you need to do is notify your staff to wear purple and kindly ask for them to donate to the cause.
For a full range of information visit https://www.wearitpurple.org/how-to-celebrate. ;
Sources:
BCG LGBTQ Employee Survey 2020
