Leveraging Partnerships to Drive LGBTA Inclusion · 2016-08-04 · Leveraging Partnerships to Drive...
Transcript of Leveraging Partnerships to Drive LGBTA Inclusion · 2016-08-04 · Leveraging Partnerships to Drive...
Leveraging Partnerships to Drive LGBTA Inclusion Erica Fessia, David Whittaker, Erica Worthington
Agenda
• Introductions • Qualcomm’s D&I strategy • Transgender benefits: why it’s important • Ally program: calling all allies • Future work: business resource groups
Introductions
Erica Fessia Director, Global Inclusion & Diversity
David Whittaker President, eQuality Employee Network
Erica Worthington Champion & Partner, Transgender Education at Qualcomm
From social groups to employee networks
• Email lists for sharing • QClubs for socializing • Employee Networks for
affiliation • Collaboration of
Employee Networks+ for advocacy and impact
Our D&I engagement strategy Core Team Partner Champion Advocate The core team sets strategy, liaises with partners and provides resources
" Set overall strategy with D&I Council
" Initiate core programming " Develop and deliver toolkits " Provide budget support " Offer consultation
An employee whose job includes a role in implementation
" Shares responsibility for the execution of D&I strategies
" Provides feedback and input to D&I strategies
" Cascades messaging " Rolls out programming &
initiatives
An employee who plays an active role outside of regular job responsibilities
" Actively fosters a culture of inclusion & diversity
" Engaged in the execution of the D&I strategies
" Executive sponsorship " Employee Network
leadership
An employee who supports and promotes programming and messaging
" A voice for inclusion & diversity initiatives
" Active participant in programming
" Involved in Employee Networks
Our D&I framework
Internal Culture
Talent Development
External Outreach
Talent Acquisition
Policy & Regulatory Requirements
Disrupt unconscious bias
Women’s leadership programs
Thinkabit Lab & FIRST programming
University and conference
participation
Transgender benefits: Why this is important for inclusion
Inclusion in the workplace: the “why”
• Balance between sense of belonging and uniqueness • Employees can be honest and open about who they are • Mutual respect & understanding • Open communication • All bring their whole, authentic selves to the workplace • Loyalty, cooperation, trust
Bottom line: inclusive teams result in more innovation, productivity, and efficiency, and fewer missed workdays.
Levels of inclusion Uniqueness Valued (perspective, knowledge, information)
Belonging
Exclusion - Not treated as an insider - Not valued for uniqueness
Assimilation - conformity - Treated as an insider - Not valued for uniqueness
Differentiation - Not treated as an insider - Uniqueness (creativity) is
valued by the organization
Inclusion - Treated as an insider - Uniqueness is valued
by the organization
Adapted from “Inclusion and Diversity in Work Groups: A Review and Model for Future Research”, Shore, Randel, Chung, Dean, Holcombe, Ehrhart, Singh SDSU, 7/2011
Obstacles to inclusion in the workplace
• Transfolk are often harassed or fired, and a majority attempt to avoid discrimination by hiding who they are or by delaying gender transition
• Some transfolk leave jobs to transition • >50% report being harassed at work • 26% lost their job because they were transgender/GNC • 45% repeatedly referred to by wrong pronoun • 22% denied access to appropriate bathrooms • 20% removed from client contact
Percentages are even higher for people of color
From Eric to Erica: my story
• 1961 – 2007 “big hetero dude” ElecEngr, MBA, Patent Atty
• Everything’s great, so why was I so unhappy?
• 2008 – Got involved with QCOM LGBT group
• 2009 – Began crossdressing and exploring femininity
The “in-between” time
Androgynous - confusing to many, and to me too Oct 2011 Mar 2012 Dec 2011
13 hours of facial feminization surgery
Cheek implants
Upper & lower blepharoplasty
Scalp advancement
Chin re-contour
Nose job & deviated septum fix
Trachea shave
Face lift, neck lift
Brow bone re-contour
Hair transplants (Dec)
April 2012
The hard costs of happiness
– Facial Feminization Surgery $35k – Electrolysis (700+ hours) $35k – Hair transplant surgery $12k – Body hair removal (several years) $10k – Breast Augmentation ~$7k
Total ~$100,000 (!)
Result: A very happy
ERICA
In 2015, Qualcomm started covering TG healthcare
• Mental health counseling
• Hormone replacement therapy
• Not much else at the time
• Psychotherapy • Hormone replacement therapy • Surgery to change the genitalia and
specified secondary sex characteristics – Reduction of the Adam's Apple – Bilateral mastectomy
• Augmentation mammoplasty • Limited to $75,000 max benefit (typical)
2012 Now
Still needed: facial feminization surgery and hair transplantation
Lessons learned
• Open communication – being open to explaining things that many are oblivious about
• Working closely with HR/EAP • Making myself available as a
trans resource in the company • Giving a heads-up to coworkers
with guidance on how to transition along with me
• A couple people needed to be told after 1-2 years to use my new name and the correct pronouns
• I should have addressed unconscious bias head-on
What went well What could have been better
Lessons learned about transfolk
• Transgender, like LGB, is NOT a choice • Gender identity and sexual orientation are independent • Chromosomes, genes, “biological sex” are not the whole
story! • Transgender is a natural part of life (many species exhibit
trans attributes for one reason or another) • There’s increasing evidence that trans brains are unique
and different from male or female brains*
“The Sexual Spectrum: Why We're All Different” - Olive Skene Johnson, PhD
Ally program: calling all allies
• Partnership with PFLAG
• Ally program: stickers, magnets, signs
• Turn out at Pride largest ever
Our first ally program
Ally assets
Link leads to a website that provides resources for allies
“Ally 101” training conducted by PFLAG
Jean-Marie Navetta Director of Equality & Diversity at PFLAG National
San Diego Pride 2016
Largest turnout ever: >250 Largest showing of executive support: CEO, CFO, CIO, CHRO Supported Orlando with ribbons
From employee networks to
business resource groups
• Expanding executive involvement
• Alignment of EN objectives to GID business strategies
Thank you!