If it makes dollars, it makes sense and it’s no secret that diversity in the workplace is good for business. Studies have shown that a diverse, welcoming environment results in better teamwork, greater innovation and more resourceful problem solving thanks to the variety of experiences employees bring to the table. In today’s economy, diversity is an ace up the sleeve in the race to be competitive and pioneering, no matter the industry.
This is possible in large part a product of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) at individual companies, and such groups are more important now than ever before. In 2015, after the Supreme Court granted marriage equality in all 50 states, there was a lot of talk about where advocacy and resource groups should focus next, given that the marriage battle had been the one everyone first considered in terms of lobbying. People quickly realized that in 28 states, it is still legal to fire someone based on their sexual orientation or gender identity and expression. In the months that followed marriage equality, we saw over 200 anti-LGBTQ ordinances passed, the most well-known being the so-called “bathroom bills,” which cost North Carolina millions in revenue from cancelled sporting events, concerts and corporate meetings. Religious freedom lawsuits and legislation took an upturn in frequency as states scrambled to define what protected classes mean, and whether sexual orientation and gender identity were among them. Just last week, President Donald Trump tweeted that transgender individuals would no longer be permitted to serve in the military, while the Department of Justice argued the same day in a major federal lawsuit that a 1964 civil rights law, Title VII, which bans sex discrimination, doesn’t cover sexual orientation.
