Tell me some stories of things your company does to make LGBT employees feel at ease at work?

What a fabulous question! I asked one of our employees who is a member of the LGBTQI community to help me with an answer.

The best way I could put it, it’s a feeling I felt when joining IGO. Not everyone’s experiences are the same and I’m only going off my personal interactions here, but from speaking with people who identify here, I know it is for the most part a similar feeling. I came from contract mining which had a very different feel, the first half of my career I spent disregarding my relationship and my sexual orientation for not feeling safe enough to come out. My first week at IGO my immediate manager and team knew my partner was female. Actions speak a thousand words and I think the culture and people we have at IGO really made me feel safe enough to come out, and it was ok to be myself.

Examples:

My first work event was a similar experience and really firmed up my safety on feeling ease at work around my relationship. I brought my partner and as we worked our way through different groups and introduced her, my pre-conceived anxiety on what people would think was eased within the first 10 minutes. Not one person gave us a funny look or made comment of “oh I didn’t know” which I had been too familiar with outside work. A warm smile and genuine interest in getting to know her and us by every person at the event not only made me comfortable but made my partner comfortable too. My partner made the comment on our way home of how refreshing and nice it was to feel accepted and included by such a large group of strangers, something that unfortunately isn’t always the case being in a same sex relationship.

IGO genuinely want to do better in the LGBT space and strive for change. IGO are advocates for Pride Professionals mentor program and encourage our identifying employees to apply as mentee’s. The program is financially supported, and mentee’s have the program paid for as part of their development plans. Similar we have senior leaders as mentors for the program who dedicate their time in professionally developing identify employees in other companies and industries. Sam Retallack is an ally and long-time mentor, this year we have had other “ally” senior leaders who are looking to take part in the program.

There are different events which IGO sponsor and invite IGO employees to attend if they wish, Pride Luncheon being one of them. We celebrate important dates throughout the year in our corporate office but also on our operating sites, this is to raise education and awareness on the topic.

There are small things IGO do to foster inclusive culture and to make a difference. Pronouns in emails signatures, non-gendered language through the recruitment process, rainbow shoelaces to show support onsite and having the option to remove titles from systems and platforms used internally.