Intersections at work

3 Every employee has a unique identity; and we all engage in diverse communities, whether it be at work, within family settings or socially. Pride in Diversity has spent over a decade supporting employers in building LGBTQ inclusive workplaces, ensuring that those who identify as LGBTQ can work in a safe and inclusive environment, irrespective if they are out to their work colleagues, their families and/or other communities in which they live and participate. In supporting organisations that employ over three million Australians, it has become very clear that those who passionately identify and engage with communities that reflect a culturally and linguistically diverse heritage can face unique challenges when it comes to their LGBTQ identity, being open about who they are and also in their ability to fully experience and/or benefit from the positive impact of inclusion initiatives. These unique challenges have not until now been given a great deal of attention when assessing the overall effectiveness of workplace inclusion. For the last two years, Pride in Diversity has included questions within the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) survey that specifically seek to engage with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) employees who also identify as someone of diverse sexuality and gender. The 2019 and 2020 data set provides significant insight into these experiences and much of this has been incorporated within this report. Pride in Diversity is delighted to partner with Diversity Council Australia to research the intersectional experiences of cultural identify, sexual orientation and gender diversity. Our aim is to listen to the voices of our culturally and linguistically diverse people, determine how we can better meet their needs and in doing so, extend the reach and effectiveness of an organisation’s workforce inclusion initiatives. We at Pride in Diversity commend this work to your teams. Dawn HougH , Director, ACON’s Pride Inclusion Programs.