DIVERSITY CHAMPIONS SCOTLAND 27 th August 2008 Launch of Peak Performance: Gay People and Productivity and Getting Started: A Route Map for Public Services.

DIVERSITY CHAMPIONS SCOTLAND27th August 2008

Launch of Peak Performance: Gay People and

Productivity and

Getting Started: A Route Map for Public Services in Scotland

Schedule2.00 Registration and refreshments2.30 Welcome from Scottish Enterprise2.35 Welcome from Stonewall Scotland, Calum Irving2.40 Peak Performance: Gay People and Productivity,

Ruth Hunt, Stonewall3.00 Getting Started: A Route Map for Public Services,

Gillian Miller, Stonewall Scotland3.15 Question time 3.45 Networking and refreshments4.30 Close

STONEWALL DIVERSITY CHAMPIONS

PEAK PERFORMANCE

The study

What did we do?

• Interviewed over 100 lesbian, gay and bisexual people both out, and not out about their experiences at work.

• Participants drawn from 21 public and private sector organisations.

What makes a person more productive?

• Efficiency

• Confidence

• Relationships

• Creativity

• Motivation

• Recruitment, retention and career progression

Efficiency

“My productivity would actually decrease when I wasn’t out because I wouldn’t feel at ease, I wouldn’t feel comfortable. I would just feel tense and there’s a lot of negative energy that is built up and it’s not productive. It can be quite draining.”

Frank, private sector

Confidence

“I find through working for my current employer my confidence has definitely increased since I’ve been out and I’ve been happier and I’ve been able to be honest with those around me.”

Jackie, public sector

Relationships

“You feel like an outsider, you feel like you’re not quite one of the gang. I was not getting as involved and developing relationships as much as I probably would have done.”

Sally, private sector

Creativity

“ It’s a depressing thing to do, to have to shield and hide parts of yourself and not be fully who you are at work. I think that

kills your creativity. It’s just this whole other thing that you have to constantly

think about and remember and keep under wraps.”

Paula, public sector

Motivation

“You feel much more comfortable if people value you, you therefore feel better working, work harder, and are more

motivated. And we all spend a lot of time at work, so your day’s usually quite long,

and so actually that’s why it’s very important that they understand the whole

of you.”Helen, private sector

Recruitment, retention, and career development

You’d have to pay me a lot more than I get paid here to go somewhere else. I just feel

very comfortable here and I feel very accepted. I feel very loyal to the

organisation.

Bill, private sector

‘No, I am not out at work. A couple of things recently have reminded me why not.’

Beth, Public Sector

• Exclusion

• Discrimination

• Failure to show commitment

• Line Managers

• Clients, suppliers & partner organisations

‘The company looks after me so I look

after them.’ Alison, public sector

• Inclusive policies and diversity strategies• Visible leadership• Supportive line management• Role models• Mentoring• Employee network groups• Globally mobile employees• Straight Allies

‘Even in an organisation that is doing really

well there are still pockets of problems.’ Richard, public sector

• Understanding the connection

• Monitoring

• Recognising contributions

• Resources

• Location

• Including women

‘Our role within our industry as leaders

on diversity issues is important.’ Phoebe, private sector

• Bullying & Harassment• Line Managers• Policies• Monitoring• Employee Network Groups• Public Commitment• Suppliers, clients and service users• Senior Leadership & Role Models • Embedding Equality and Diversity

‘The person that I am at work is now me rather than a doctored version of me. If

you’re not 100% yourself how can you be 100% involved and committed and putting

100% in? It’s not like I wasn’t working hard before, but there’s now detachment

or reservation now where there was before.

Sally, private sector

people perform better when they can be themselves

www.stonewall.org.uk/workplace

‘Getting Started’

Making your services more LGBT inclusive.

Gillian Miller

What we will look at today

• What is ‘Getting Started’?

• Productivity

• What can an organisation do to

change?

• Going forward with Good Practice

What is ‘Getting Started’

• Delivered as part of Good Practice

project

• Established good practice

• Discussions with public services

• Observations

Productivity: how does it fit?

• Staff and service user experiences are

linked

• Similar outcomes

• Share learning and experiences

• Giving practical tips from peers

What organisations can do to change

Leadership– Senior

• Give Permission• Public commitment• Everyone’s business

– Manager• Take a stand / Challenge• Day to day

– Front line• Crucial link• Lead by example – act as a champion

What organisations can do to change

Staff training and development

– Embedding equality and diversity

• Dedicated LGBT training

• Awareness of language

• Bullying and Harassment

• Staff at all levels

What organisations can do to change

Engagement and consultation– Networks

• Different functions – support or business

• Lunch bites

– Reaching your customers• Climate

• Complaints

• Feedback

– Monitoring• climate

From here to equality

• Good practice and DCs working together– Single equality scheme guidance– Research into experiences vs perceptions– Research into Migration and the ‘brain

drain’– EQIA tool

Questions?