5 Ways to Tell if a Company is LGBTQ+ Friendly

As pride month begins and companies begin to roll out the rainbow flags once more, you may be wondering which companies are genuinely interested in supporting the LGBTQ+ community. When looking for a new job, one of the most daunting aspects for many LGBTQ+ people is wondering if they’re inclusive. Actively inclusive companies will often do more than state that they are inclusive - they’ll take steps to make their employees feel safe and comfortable. Here are some ways you can tell if a company you’re interested in working for is LGBTQ+ friendly.

They have non-discrimination policies

When applying for a new job, many companies will state within their job announcement that they are an Equal Opportunity Employer. You can also search their website - company policies are typically listed in the “About Us” section. If a company doesn’t have an official non-discrimination policy, that’s a red flag; actively inclusive companies will go beyond a non-discrimination policy. Here is a list of 500+ Major Companies that support the Equality Act.

They have gender-inclusive benefits

Gender-inclusive benefits indicate a company’s level of commitment to supporting their LGBTQ+ employees. These benefits may include domestic partner benefits, trans-inclusive healthcare, and paid family leave. This information can typically be found on a company’s website. If you aren’t able to find it online, asking in an interview will give you a feel not only for the company’s dedication to their LGBTQ+ employees, but for how they treat their employees in general.

They use inclusive language

Inclusive workplaces will be conscientious about the language they use. Oftentimes, workers will have their pronouns in their bio on LinkedIn and other business platforms. You can gauge how inclusive a company is by checking to see if the senior leaders have their pronouns in their bios, as well as if the employees are comfortable enough to share their pronouns. Additionally, companies striving towards inclusion will make an effort to use inclusive language when communicating. This means they will try to steer clear of heternormative language, which may assume binary gender and heterosexuality. Instead of assuming your pronouns or your partner’s gender, they may ask open-ended questions, and leave room for clarification.

They have diverse employees

A company that is inclusive will be diverse. Not only that, but its employees will be happy to work there. You can look at company reviews on Glassdoor, or even message current employees on LinkedIn to ask how their experience has been.

They promote equality

Checking a company’s mission statement isn’t just a good way to see if they’re LGBTQ+ friendly, but also a great way to see what beliefs they value. Another way to see if a company promotes equality in practice is to check if they have employee resource groups. Resource groups allow LGBTQ+ employees to network and discuss grievances in the workplace. Their purpose is to provide support to employees and promote a diverse workplace through connection and expression.

Opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily those of WITI.