Pride month: why LGBTQ + inclusion in the workplace is essential

 

Working in a world that constantly tries to turn you into someone else is your greatest challenge. You should never feel ashamed of who you are, nor afraid to show who you love. This applies not only to your personal life, but also to your professional life. That’s why Hays proudly supports Pride Month—because love is too beautiful to be hidden.

Should you leave your “true self” at home when going to work? The answer may seem obvious to many, but the freedom to love is still not a given for numerous members of the LGBTQ+ community. Pride Month is not only a celebration of individuality—it’s also a time to highlight the ongoing fight for recognition and equality for LGBTQ+ people.

The freedom to love and be yourself: a right worth defending

The “freedom to love” means being able to be who you want, love who you want, and never having to justify it to anyone.

And yet, inclusion is still a relatively recent achievement. It was only in 1990 that the World Health Organization removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders. In France, anti-discrimination protection based on sexual orientation was introduced in 1985, and homophobic insults have been punishable by law since 2004.

Another major milestone: in 2013, the "marriage for all" law granted same-sex couples new rights in areas like marriage, adoption, and inheritance. But while these advancements are significant, discrimination has not disappeared.

The LGBTQ+ Glass Ceiling in the Workplace

LGBTQ+ employees still face discrimination at work, often through what’s known as the “glass ceiling”—or, in this context, the “pink ceiling.” There is a distinction between implicit and explicit discrimination. Implicit discrimination is indirect. It includes gossip, stereotypes, innuendo, and humiliation, and it can come from peers, direct managers, or even senior leadership.

Explicit discrimination is less common but more overt—it can involve verbal or written slurs and personal attacks. These attitudes can have serious consequences: increased caution when discussing one’s private life, anxiety, stress, anger, and depression. Discrimination can also limit career advancement, with exclusion from promotion opportunities being one of the most frequently reported issues.

Yet hiring LGBTQ+ talent is an asset to any company. Firstly, a diverse workforce better reflects the customer base and improves client understanding.

Secondly, hiring from a wide talent pool ensures that individuals are chosen for their skills—the qualities that truly matter at work. Performance has no link to sexual orientation.


Third, an inclusive workplace culture reduces staff turnover, which benefits both employees and the company. And fourth, diversity drives creativity and innovation—diverse teams are smarter teams.

H2 Best Practices for Successful LGBTQ+ Inclusion in the Workplace

Employers can take proactive steps to support inclusion and ensure LGBTQ+ employees feel recognized and accepted. Here are a few examples:

  • Distribute materials about internal diversity networks (if available), or at the very least, share contact information for a diversity and inclusion representative. Offer a safe space where employees can report issues, ask questions, or request meetings. Key diversity policies should also be made easily accessible.
  • Host mentorship sessions led by senior LGBTQ+ professionals, sharing how their sexual or gender identity has shaped their careers and contributed to the organization.
  • Recognize that LGBTQ+ employees may have different needs than their heterosexual peers. Companies should be open to bottom-up input—this upward feedback is crucial for building meaningful inclusion strategies.
  • Organize events where employees are encouraged to bring their partners. These moments help foster empathy and build awareness of the diverse relationships within your workforce.
  • LGBTQ+ employees who choose to keep their orientation private can also face discrimination. Flexible and anonymous reporting procedures are essential to protect confidentiality.
  • Being LGBTQ+ is often viewed as a private matter rather than a professional one. This couldn’t be further from the truth: employees who feel accepted by their peers and managers, and who don’t have to self-censor, are more comfortable—and therefore more productive.

Managers play a key role in promoting workplace diversity and inclusion. As the bridge between leadership and employees, their management style greatly influences how diversity policies are perceived and adopted across the organization.

H2 Our Commitment to LGBTQ+ Inclusion and Equality at Work

At Hays, we are firmly committed to diversity and inclusion. Hays France & Luxembourg is a proud signatory of the Diversity Charter and makes an annual donation to SOS HOMOPHOBIE, a non-profit that combats lesbophobia, homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia.

To help ensure true equality and provide equal rights to all parents, Hays has extended the leave for employees in same-sex partnerships to 2.5 months, compared to the standard 11 days provided by French law.