The LGBTQ+ community is infinitely diverse and intersectional in nature, but many members share a common experience of coming together, especially in workplace settings. Not surprisingly, Mind Share Partners’ 2021 Mental Health at Work Report in partnership with Qualtrics and ServiceNow found that LGBTQ + employees are more likely to experience mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and burnout and to say that their work or work environment has a negative impact. impact on their mental health. But the narrative surrounding LGBTQ+ mental health in the workplace is not defined only by hardship. In the same study, LGBTQ+ workers are more likely to feel comfortable talking about their mental health at work, more likely to have talked about their mental health to others at work in the past month, and more likely to see mental health as a diversity. equity, and inclusion issues, compared to non-LGBTQ+ workers. Despite the challenges they face, LGBTQ+ employees are well positioned to lead their workplaces as champions for mental health – not just for the LGBTQ+ community but for organizations in general. The authors provide an initial framework that includes real actions both large and small, proactive and reactive, that company leaders can use to support LGBTQ+ mental health in the workplace.
The LGBTQ+ community is infinitely diverse and intersectional in nature, but many members share a common experience of coming together, especially in workplace settings. Not surprisingly, Mind Share Partners’ 2021 Mental Health at Work Report in partnership with Qualtrics and ServiceNow found that LGBTQ + employees are more likely to experience mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and burnout and to say that their work or work environment has a negative impact. impact on their mental health. But the narrative surrounding LGBTQ+ mental health in the workplace is not defined only by hardship. In the same study, LGBTQ+ workers are more likely to feel comfortable talking about their mental health at work, more likely to have talked about their mental health to others at work in the past month, and more likely to see mental health as a diversity. equity, and inclusion issues, compared to non-LGBTQ+ workers. Despite the challenges they face, LGBTQ+ workers are well positioned to lead their workplaces as champions for mental health – not just for the LGBTQ+ community but for organizations in general. The authors provide an initial framework that includes real actions both large and small, proactive and reactive, that company leaders can use to support LGBTQ+ mental health in the workplace.
I grew up in a predominantly white, heteronormative city in a household passed by a mother who struggled with alcoholism. As a child of immigrants seeking to understand their own sexual identity, I watched my classmates – many of them friends – debate a California proposition that prohibits same-sex marriage; Facing the same jeers in the noodles my mother packed me for lunch that many other Asian American kids face; and return home every day punctuated by silent meals, averted gazes, and long, spiraling talks lasting well into the night.
I developed chronic depression early in my childhood. Back then, it was a deep sadness that I carried, managed, and hid in parts of my life that were largely unsafe for me. I spent much of my life learning how to make myself invisible – to mask my emotions, expressions, parts of myself that are generally differentiated – and to constantly monitor how I present myself to the world in order to maintain safety.
When I started my professional career, I brought with me these experiences and beliefs about the world: my constant safety, the risk of not being perfect, and the lack of safety even in my own community as a gay, Asian man. However, I was lucky. My first place of work was a non-profit organization focused on behavior change technology and creating solutions to improve youth mental health. At that time, the majority of employees were members of the LGBTQ+ community, the team was diverse and inclusive without tokenizing, and mental health was a daily topic given the mission of the organization.
It was in this environment — where mental health, the LGBTQ+ experience, and racial, ethnic, and cultural diversity were so anticlimactically normalized — that I sought formal mental health support for the first time. It is here where I finally feel I can simply live my intersectional identity without the ever-constant, overbearing pressure to self-monitor and adjust my words, my behavior, my being. From that survival came vulnerability, courage, and stories like this as my career transitioned into broader advocacy around mental health in the workplace at Nonprofit Mind Partners.
Again, I was lucky. Many LGBTQ+ people continue to navigate social, cultural, and workplace environments that still treat them as others — even in celebration. In this section, we will explore the core elements of the LGBTQ+ experience of mental health in the workplace as well as a preliminary framework that covers real ways organizations can support the mental health of their LGBTQ+ team members.
The LGBTQ+ Experience and Mental Health at Work
The LGBTQ+ community is infinitely diverse and intersectional in nature, but many members share a common experience of coming together, especially in workplace settings. Many feel compelled to monitor their presentation of gender and sexuality at work. Some reveal by choice – others involuntarily. To see also : The federal office focused on the impacts of the climate crisis on health has no permanent staff or funding. Many have to respond to intrusive questioning, being misgendered, unsolicited comments about clothing, and other microaggressions. Many, too, face direct harassment and discrimination, and studies have found that LGBTQ+ workers make 22% less than non-LGTBQ+ workers. And when it comes to actually seeking mental health care, many navigate additional obstacles – from finding therapists who are LGBTQ+, or who understand LGBTQ+ health needs, or who simply accept and affirm their identity.
These are just a few of the many unique challenges faced by LGBTQ+ workers in professional settings. Navigating them alone is difficult. But the lack of support, solutions, and prevention efforts by employers compounds the impact not only on the mental health of LGBTQ + employees, but also on psychological safety, relationships with colleagues, a sense of inclusion and belonging in their team, and engagement at work.
Not surprisingly, Mind Share Partners’ 2021 Mental Health at Work Report in partnership with Qualtrics and ServiceNow found that LGBTQ + employees are more likely to experience mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and burnout and to say that their work or work environment has a negative impact. impact on their mental health. Not surprisingly, we also found that LGBTQ+ workers were more than twice as likely to report ever having voluntarily left their previous role due at least in part to mental health reasons.
But the narrative surrounding LGBTQ+ mental health in the workplace is not defined only by hardship. In the same study, LGBTQ+ workers were more likely to feel uncomfortable talking about their mental health at work, more likely to talk about their mental health with co-workers in the past month, and more likely to see mental health as a diversity, equity, and inclusion issue, compared to non-LGBTQ+ workers. Despite the challenges they face, LGBTQ+ employees are well positioned to lead their workplaces as champions for mental health – not just for the LGBTQ+ community but for organizations in general.
How Organizations Can Support LGBTQ+ Workers’ Mental Health
Supporting mental health in the workplace requires a strategic approach. This initial framework includes tangible actions both large and small, proactive and reactive, that company leaders can use to support LGBTQ+ mental health in the workplace.
That said, this isn’t a laundry list of check-the-box solutions. Instead, understand the intent and principles around safety, inclusion, equity, and advocacy that underlie these actions. This may interest you : INFORMATION: President Biden’s maternal health plan is provided to women, mothers and families. Customize your approach, and develop strategies that are unique to your people and context.
Provide mental health resources, education, and skill-building.
First, make sure your list of covered providers includes people who are LGBTQ+ or have LGBTQ+ health experiences, and make sure your insurance plan covers services for same-sex couples and families. Read also : Unacceptable conditions fuel class struggle in the United States. Also consider responsively expanding coverage after anti-LGTBQ+ legislation and world events to offer timely additional support, whether it’s subsidized therapy sessions, LGBTQ+ peer support groups, or expanding your list of LGBTQ+ providers.
Second, share information about mental and general health experiences unique to LGBTQ+ people. This could include creating comprehensive guides, like Forward Together’s, around navigating the health care system for LGBTQ+ individuals. Or even simpler: Identify a clear and designated point of contact within your HR team who is part of or allied with the LGBTQ+ community who can sit down with employees, outline the resources available, walk them through how to access them, and answer. all questions.
Finally, explore mental health training at all organizational levels, especially with a DEI lens, to equip workers to proactively support mental health in the workplace and understand how mental health experiences vary, within, and at the intersection of identity and community. For example, Mind Share Partners conducted an interactive half-day retreat for Kearney’s Proud Network where we utilized an immersive and participatory storytelling activity that explored the intersection of mental health, work, and the LGBTQ+ experience. “[The session] gives Pride Network tools to support each other and increase connections in our community,” said Andrew Furash, Manager at Kearney and Retreat Lead. “The session helps us live authentically, make ourselves all work, and harness the value of our differences.”
Signal support for the LGBTQ+ community and mental health.
This is especially important in organizations with cultures that are less representative or with ambiguous or unclear support – that is, most workplaces.
You can do this in several ways. Create visibility by highlighting LGBTQ+ events, initiatives, employees, and leaders. Show allyship by addressing and correcting non-inclusive language, policies, or practices, or even formalize allyship like Accenture did through their global Ally program of 120,000+ members or PGIM through their Mental Health Champion program. Model healthy practices around both LGBTQ+ inclusivity and mental health – from sharing your pronouns, being authentic about your own mental health, to implementing healthy work norms. And, of course, deliberately checking, not only in response to anti-LGBTQ + events, but regularly to normalize also regarding mental health.
Finally, signal support is not a special action. It involves intentional and consistent messaging within the organization for mental health and the LGBTQ+ community – in company-wide campaigns for Pride Month or May Mental Health Awareness Month and in daily interactions among colleagues throughout the year.
Cultivate inclusion through programs, policies, and practices.
In other words, formalize your efforts to prevent and respond to the unique challenges that many LGBTQ+ employees face in the workplace.
First, start with everyday things like using inclusive language (for example, saying “Hello everyone” instead of “Adam and gentlemen,” or “partner” instead of “husband and wife”); use non-gendered acknowledgments (eg, “they/them,” “you all,” etc.) in public communication; and include pronouns in company bios, name badges, Zoom names, and even LinkedIn profiles. Document and share these norms as well, such as in the G2 employer guide. As you think about these daily strategies, remember that all employees — not just LGBTQ+ people — should engage in these practices. Consider small, seamless ways that give LGBTQ+ employees control over disclosure without suddenly putting them in the spotlight. Bain & The company, for example, created a ladder system that allows LGBTQ+ ERG members to decide who they work with.
Second, invest in programs like onboarding friends or LGBTQ+ ERG or affinity groups like at Adobe, AstraZeneca, Converse, Progressive, Riot Games, and more. Programs like these facilitate regular spaces for safe conversation, learning, and peer support among LGBTQ+ employees and allies. Especially for ERGs, empower them to advise on inclusive programs and policies that fit your organization, industry, and region. You can even bridge partnerships between ERGs, such as with the growing number of mental health ERGs, to further drive the conversation around mental health for the LGBTQ + community. For example, VMware’s mental health ERG organized a panel “Intersectionality of Neurodiversity and LGBTQIA +” where three employees shared their own life experiences on the topic. “Hundreds of employees attended the event, with completely positive feedback,” said Dexter Arver, event organizer. As one attendee shared afterwards: “It really helped (at least for me) to know I wasn’t ‘alone’ out there. [It was] one of the best sessions I attended.”
Similarly, the conservation organization World Wildlife Fund (WWF)’s mental/physical wellness ERG and LGBTQ+ ERG co-sponsored a Pride Month talk with Dior Vargas, a queer, Latina mental health activist, to discuss mental health for LGBTQ+ colleagues and colleagues. color “The community established by this ERG gives colleagues the opportunity to connect in a deeper way,” said Jon Cass, co-chair of WWF’s Whole Beings ERG. “Having these conversations also helps us better understand where there are gaps in the support currently provided, especially for traditionally underrepresented groups, so we can advocate for resources and policies.”
Of course, inclusion management must be accompanied by intentional and strategic equity efforts to address larger, systemic issues around hiring, promotion, and executive representation for LGBTQ+ employees. Combined with formal and small programs, daily signaling, top-down and bottom-up approaches create consistent, organization-wide messaging of inclusion and equality for LGBTQ+ employees.
Amplify their voices.
As we found in our study, LGBTQ + employees are actually more open to talking about their own mental health at work, offering a unique opportunity to empower early advocates to champion internal mental health campaigns, share their own mental health journey, and manage safety and support. for mental health for all employees.
One option is storytelling, which can serve as a powerful catalyst in normalizing mental health and empowering individuals across organizations to join the conversation. For example, we work with global investment management firm PGIM’s Mental Health Champion peer network to help volunteers share their personal mental health stories. “Through the support of Mind Share Partners, employees are ready to be vulnerable and share their stories in a hopeful and relatable way, positively influencing inclusion and helping to normalize talking about mental health,” said Barbara Fuchs, vice president, talent management.
While storytelling can be strong, it must coincide with intentional shifts in participating employees’ schedules and work to make time to lead this initiative, or even compensation and other ways to recognize their involvement, vulnerability, and leadership.
Create a healthy and sustainable culture of work.
When we think about workplace mental health, employers often turn to individual solutions like benefits, activities, and mental health days coupled with mental health awareness campaigns (eg, “It’s okay, it’s okay”).
Truly supporting mental health in the workplace, however, involves taking a real look at how your organization and people work – from work-life balance, flexibility, and autonomy to perceptions of work and performance. All these workplace factors – not individual coping mechanisms – have been shown time and time again in academic literature to play a deterministic role on employee mental health, yet they are often the last to be meaningfully addressed.
And this applies to LGBTQ+ workers. Norms of inclusive virtual communication practices such as email signatures and Zoom names have eased the process of sharing pronouns or coming out for many. And in recent years, the transition to remote work has actually reduced the number of microaggressions LGBTQ+ workers experience in workplace settings.
The way we work affects different employees in different ways. As we explore the future of work, organizations must make meaningful efforts to explore these nuances in communities to ensure that work is healthy and inclusive.
. . .
When we think about the LGBTQ+ experience of mental health in the workplace, remember that the unique challenges and outcomes we see are the result of a long history of discrimination, violence, marginalization, and the like that persists to this day. No matter what workplace strategies you explore and employ, the goal is not to accommodate LGBTQ+ people because they are different, but to correct longstanding norms and practices that treat LGBTQ+ people as different. And remember that supporting mental health in the workplace – regardless of LGBTQ + identity – includes not only openness, safety, and acceptance about mental health, but also the fundamental need for a healthy and sustainable experience of the work.
