EXCLUSIVE: A third (33%) of HR decision-makers think that there is insufficient support in employee benefits for the LGBTQ+ community, according to research from digital health platform Peppy.
A total of 63% found it hard to get senior management to buy in to benefits that do not support the majority of employees, however 34% strongly agreed that employee benefits are key to fostering diversity and inclusion within the workplace. Two-thirds said there is a strong business case to provide employee benefits that demonstrate diversity and inclusion.
As many as 64% of respondents said they regularly engage with their staff about which employee benefits might be useful to specific groups or demographics. Despite this, 65% said their organisation does not have benefits that are tailored for specific minority groups, due to a belief that the existing benefits are broad enough to support all employees.
Nevertheless, three out of five (60%) said that their organisation's diversity and inclusion policy references specific employee benefits offered for minority groups, while 62% stated the belief that they must actively seek out options for these groups within the workplace, in order to demonstrate diversity and inclusion.
Dr Mridula Pore, CEO of Peppy, explained that while it is promising to see that organisations are joining the dots between their policies for minority groups and the benefits that they offer, it is important not to label certain provisions as only being appropriate for certain employees, as this could prevent people from accessing help when they most need it.
“Not all employee benefits may meet the needs of the LGBTQ+ community but many will, while also offering comprehensive support to the wider employee community too. Employers need to be selective about which providers they choose to partner with, and should raise the issue of support for different minority communities when looking at who to work with,” Pore said.
