First UK LGBT business champion appointed

The UK's first LGBT business champion has pledged to build a bridge between the government and the LGBT community.

Iain Anderson, executive chairman of public relations firm Cicero, will focus on improving workplace equality at a small business level.

One CIPD report suggested 40% of LGBT employees had experienced conflict at work, rising to 55% of trans employees.

One, Jayne Ozanne, accused the government of creating a "hostile environment" for LGBT people.

The members left over the government's handling of LGBT rights and amid claims it was "dragging its feet" on a pledge to ban so-called conversion therapy.

"I definitely see my role as a link between the LGBT community, government and business and I want to build a bridge between the three parties," Mr Anderson says.

"If businesses see me, and in turn government, putting in place tangible ways to allow LGBT people to be themselves, they'll understand that this is a priority area and do more about it."

Mr Anderson, a Stonewall ambassador, was appointed to the new unpaid position by equalities minister Liz Truss.

Stonewall's Robbie de Santos described the appointment as a "really important move" and said it was the government's responsibility to "set the tone and culture" for what was happening in the UK.

"It's just not on that huge sections of the LGBT population can have that experience at work, so it's a welcome sign the government has appointed someone specifically to look at this. If you think about how much of time we spend at work, it's really key."

For his part, Mr Anderson says that coming out as gay at work helped his business to thrive.

"I've been in business 30 years and I didn't feel able to be myself at work for about half that time. There's been tonnes of progress but I still think there's an awful lot more to do. You're concerned about what customers and clients might think you've got lots going on in your head - it can be quite isolating."

One of his first initiatives as LGBT business champion will be to set up a "buddy" scheme in which small firms can benefit from the equality frameworks that already exist within larger businesses.

"A lot of large companies are doing this already with diversity and inclusion teams, and small businesses find this much much harder to do," he says.

"We are going to bring together large and small businesses to design something that would be practical and useful that we can get running relatively quickly.

"Small businesses loathe having lots of stuff to read but we'll be focusing on mentoring and buddying up the diversity and inclusion capabilities of big FTSE businesses with their supply chain."

While gender pay gap reporting has become compulsory for large businesses - suspended during the pandemic - Mr Anderson is not pushing for mandatory reporting of LGBT pay gaps.

"Some companies are already publishing their pay gaps and that is clearly making them an attractive place to work for LGBT people", he says.

"I'm open to conversations with businesses and organisations about any suggestions they have to improve the workplace for LGBT people. If pay gap reporting is one of those suggestions, then I'm more than happy to look at this as an option."

He also acknowledges that LGBT pay gap reporting is more "tricky" as not all employees wish to be out at work.

In the role he will also help British businesses to advocate for LGBT equality in their international trading partners ahead of the UK's first global LGBT conference next summer.

Mike Cherry, national chair of the Federation of Small Business (FSB), welcomed Mr Anderson's appointment.

"We hope this will instil a new clear focus on LGBT+ individuals who run small businesses right across the country who are so often overlooked compared to others.

"All too often, it is only larger companies and corporates that offered serious engagement with these issues, it's vital that small business owners and the self-employed are also considered and involved.

"The government must lead the way on this, by offering mentoring opportunities, role models and an expanded business network".

Matthew Percival, skills and inclusion director at the Confederation of British Industry said: "Employers need to be thinking about all groups of society, taking steps to understand and respond to the experiences of LGBT employees.

"Forums or networks that help LGBT colleagues put forward their views and priorities to management are one of many practical ways in which this can be done."

He added that the government could "send a powerful signal" by ratifying the International Labour Organization's Violence and Harassment Convention, described as the first international treaty to recognise the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment.

Jose Franca, who runs an LGBT business group, urged the government not to make the role a "tick-box" exercise.

"We feel that small business LGBT+ members aren't being represented and we say to the government, don't use us as tick-box exercise, engage with us - what are our challenges? Give us the spotlight," says Mr Franca, a developmental consultant who helps lead an LGBTQ+ support group for the FSB.

"Is this going to be different or is it just another PR exercise - what action will they take?"