Ensuring LGBTQ+ Workplace Equity and Inclusion to Future-Proof Your Hospital or Health System (95H)

Because of today’s healthcare workforce shortages and the shifting generational demographics of the workforce, healthcare systems cannot afford to leave any workers behind. At the same time, diversity, equity and inclusion programs are under attack, and organizations are considering scaling back these efforts. Research shows that diversity in the workplace offers an organization a number of benefits, so what are today’s healthcare employers to do, and how can they create an equitable and inclusive environment for all workers including those from the LGBTQ+ community? This workshop will present relevant information from multiple research reports from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) civil rights organization in the country

The “Equality Rising: LGBTQ+ Workers and the Road Ahead” study features data from a national survey that outlines LGBTQ+ people’s experiences at their jobs and the reality of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace. The “Future-Proofing Business: Embracing Today and Tomorrow’s LGBTQ+ Workers and Customers” report underscores that as more consumers and workers identify as LGBTQ+ and allies, expectations are raised for organizations to support the community and embrace pro-equality actions and LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion if they want to compete for these workers and loyalty from patients. These reports also show how workplace inclusion impacts employee recruitment, productivity, engagement and retention. We will also share data from the HRC Foundation’s 2024 LGBTQ+ Climate Survey that shows that LGBTQ+ workers and consumers prioritize how organizations show up for them when deciding where to work and spend their money and how they react to organizations that back away from DEI initiatives.

These reports not only lay the groundwork for understanding what workplace inclusion looks like for LGBTQ+ workers but also, along with the programs of the HRC Foundation, provide a roadmap to help future-proof your organization. In addition, the session will provide data and insights from the Healthcare Equality Index 2024, specifically on the steps that healthcare facilities can take to make their facilities more equitable and inclusive for LGBTQ+ employees. To support the data and research, presenters will share a case study on how a successful healthcare organization, Baptist Health of South Florida, has demonstrated through its Business Resource Group (BRG) and other meaningful actions how it successfully attracts and retains LGBTQ+ talent.