For most parts of the globe, inclusion is seen as a universal human right aimed at embracing all people irrespective of race, gender, disability, medical, or other need. In the Philippines and elsewhere across the world, LGBT+ inclusion is considered a benchmark for progressive corporations. LGBT+ inclusion is smart business, and certain baseline policies are an expected norm among multinational employers.
In the latest survey of LGBT+ inclusion in the Philippine corporate setting released this October 2021 by the nonprofit organization Philippine Financial & Inter-Industry Pride (PFIP) it was revealed that signs of the widening standard for LGBT+ workplace inclusion are gaining traction among business organizations and corporations nationwide. The group’s 50 members include some of the biggest BPOs and financial services companies in the country.
“The results are hugely encouraging. They prove that corporate benchmarks have evolved and that LGBT+ inclusion is a valid, viable expectation of any progressive company. We’ve seen this change ourselves, in our work pioneering corporate LGBT+ inclusion programs for the past seven years,” according to PFIP Chair Weena Ekid, an executive at JP Morgan Chase in the Philippines.
The survey drew more than 100 respondents, evenly split between PFIP members and non-members. Respondents include local conglomerates and established Filipino corporations, representing employees from business organizations nationwide. The study also highlights PFIP’s collaborative work with these inclusive organizations.
Many companies from the BPO and financial sectors, which are regularly seen as pacesetters for local employment standards, participated in this study. Most of these organizations are part of global entities and are thus guided by global mandates to pursue and implement inclusion locally.
“This is an extremely useful update to the standards for LGBT+ inclusion in the Philippine workplace. Everyone has diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) goals. But to have current, very specific numbers from sought-after employers — including banking and professional services, once assumed to be very conservative — confirms new norms by a new, rising generation. Talented workers will be able to choose their workplaces according to where they feel respected and included,” said Drew Fernandez, PFIP Board Advisor and Global Chief People Officer at The Bottling Investments Group of The Coca Cola Company.
Six (06) factors were measured by the survey:
- Inclusive Policies
- Inclusive Benefits
- Organizational Support via leadership representation and employee groups
- Technology for Inclusion
- Efforts to Educate and Enable
- Outreach via CSR and Thought Leadership
The largely positive findings also show areas for improvement: wider benefits for same-sex partners; clear policies for transgender employees; and action to spread inclusion beyond the industry and its relatively privileged workforce. Highlights of the survey include:
- 88% of respondents have concrete policies against gender discrimination, and procedures to raise concerns
- 75% offer medical benefits for same-sex domestic partners equivalent to those for married different-sex couples
- 64% have executive-level leaders on record as members or allies of the LGBT+ community
- 63% recognize chosen names and pronouns, however 29% have no policies at all for transgender employees
Chris Eugenio, PFIP Board of Trustee and independent DEI consultant said, “These results confirm that we’re on the right track to a workplace truly inclusive for LGBT+ talent. These numbers show concrete steps taken by companies, both multinational and local, who recognize that talent has no gender, and who substantiate that recognition in different ways. But we also plan to improve, and with the specific benchmarks here we can be strategic in our next steps. We can do it. And we can do better.”
In summary, LGBT+ workplace inclusion is now official policy in nearly 90 corporations in the Philippines.