This article was originally published on 28 June 2023.
You can read the original article on the 6point6 website here.
Pride Month is another great moment to reflect on the progress we have made at 6point6 towards a more inclusive workplace. We recently spoke to Jamie Whittingham, member of the 6point6 LGBTQIA+ employee community, about the importance of visibility and awareness. We also heard from Isaac Kirkland, 6point6 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion group lead, about the critical role that allies play.
LGBTQIA+ rights have come a long way. It’s great to see so many companies and organisations working on creating safer and more welcoming spaces. Sadly discrimination at work ranging from micro aggression to outright harassment remains a worrying feature with 20% of LGBTQIA+ people experiencing homophobia and 30% feeling they need to hide who they are from their colleagues and clients.
Pride Month is about standing up for what’s right and a reminder there’s still a long way to go to achieve full inclusivity, acceptance and understanding. At 6point6, this is about creating the right environment that fosters more creativity, enables better teamwork, and protects what we value the most – building a happy and inclusive community. When our employees feel comfortable and accepted for who they are, they’re able to bring their whole selves to work.
We support grassroots employee networks and hold several events and activities with one key message – everyone here has a role to play in showing respect, acceptance and understanding while celebrating the uniqueness in everyone. We want to support those who feel comfortable in their own shoes, inspiring others as they go.
Jamie Whittingham, Technical Lead – Cloud and DevOps and member of the LGBTQIA+ employee community
I joined 6point6 as a graduate 6 years ago and I could tell then that the organisation has an open and friendly culture. I felt comfortable coming out to my new colleagues. Despite growing fast as a company, our ethos of being inclusive to our core remains the same to this day. It’s scary to see the tide of change against LGBTQIA+ rights in countries around the world and it makes you realise that they can easily be taken away or reduced overnight.
There is also a way to go for our industry to embrace under-represented groups like LGBTQIA+ and women as it remains largely cisgender male dominated. So it’s important that Pride Month is a time for every company to review its inclusive policies, tackle unconscious bias through workshops and company presentations, and encourage gender-neutral language. It makes me realise how important it is to be part of a workplace where I can be myself, where people won’t make assumptions about who I am.
Isaac Kirkland, Data Engineering Consultant and Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Lead
What is great about having employee networks is that change happens bottom up rather than always being led from the top down. 6point6 gives their people time and space to get involved in employee networks rather than having to fit it around our work schedules. It’s exciting to be leading a group that is playing a pivotal role to amplify the voices of our LGBTQIA+ employee – a safe space where we can hear and share their stories, celebrate their achievements and understand their challenges.
For example, we organised a fireside chat as part of our Pride Month activities with Joanne Lockwood, Founder and CEO of See Change Happen, who spoke about her experiences coming out and transitioning as a transgender woman. We all play a role in driving awareness and creating a culture of belonging where every person feels valued at 6point6. And that’s something we can all be proud of.
At 6point6, we are committed to championing diversity and to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels they belong. Visit our career opportunities to find out more about equity, diversity and inclusivity at 6point6.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Jamie is a proud member of the 6point6 LGBTQIA+ community and Equality Diversity and Inclusivity employee network group. With a deep understanding of cloud technologies and DevOps practices, Jamie brings innovative solutions to complex technical challenges.
Isaac leads the 6point6 Equity, Diversity and Inclusivity employee network group where he promotes engagement throughout the business with events, surveys, panel discussions and training.
