Equality
Gay Rights Groups Help Small Businesses Create LGBT-Inclusive Workplaces
By Chrys Hudson

Nov 6, 2007

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation and the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC) have released a new toolkit, “Small Business Basics: How Small Businesses Can Create Fair Workplaces for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Employees,” to help small businesses provide equal benefits, employment protections and an inclusive work environment for all their employees.

"Each day over 41 million Americans go to work at small businesses—which face unique challenges and opportunities in addressing diversity and inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees," Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a release. "By releasing this guide, we provide practical advice to fair-minded small business owners so they can recruit and retain productive LGBT employees, as their big corporate competitors have done for years."

"Oftentimes, small business owners and managers feel that their hands are tied in developing more inclusive environments for LGBT employees because of perceived cost and lack of human resource counsel. This resource outlines the business case for LGBT diversity efforts and offers suggestions that are within reach for small business owners." Justin Nelson, co-founder and president of the NGLCC, said in the same release. 

"‘Small Business Basics’ provides model benefits and employment policies and offers suggestions for businesses to cope with high health-care costs. It also gives practical, cost-effective ideas for small business owners and managers on building inclusion, monitoring the work force and addressing problems and taking advantage of the increased opportunities for senior leadership to interact with employees that exist in small businesses," added Chance Mitchell, co-founder and CEO of the NGLCC.

The NGLCC and Human Rights Campaign conducted a series of focus groups and one-on-one interviews with small business owners to understand what information would be most helpful in creating an inclusive workplace.