I was approached recently by this group doing research on LGTB employees, and they were having trouble getting enough lesbians to respond to their online survey (I’m assuming it’s because we’re busy conquering the world…) So I promised I’d give them a little space to make their case that you should help them out and fill out their survey. Sounds like they’re coming from the right place, women and lesbians need all the good jobs we can get. They need it filled out by the first week in September.

 ~Editor.

Upcoming Catalyst Research on LGBT Employees in Canada: An Opportunity to Share Your Experiences

Catalyst is the leading nonprofit membership organization working globally with businesses and the professions to build inclusive workplaces and expand opportunities for women and business. Our vision is a world that supports and encourages every woman in her career aspirations and places no limits on where her skills and energy can take her.

In keeping with our mission, Catalyst is undertaking new research on workplace experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) employees in Canada. LGBT employees are a significant portion of the Canadian workforce, yet corporate diversity strategies rarely focus on understanding and addressing their unique needs. Gaining insights on these needs is a challenge for many companies.

Most research on LGBT issues in the workplace focuses on the importance of anti-discrimination policies as a minimum standard. With our research, we aim to help organizations understand the experiences and perceptions of LGBT employees and go beyond anti-discrimination policies to create substantial opportunities for organizations to increase awareness, accountability, and action.

We are currently seeking volunteers to complete our survey. If you are interested in sharing your experiences and insights about diversity and inclusion in your workplace, please visit this website:  

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=n5AuDm7F3_2f7WrbU5lqPwew_3d_3d

The survey takes approximately 30 minutes. Your responses will be kept strictly confidential. We request your participation by Monday, September 8, 2008. Please forward the survey link to others who may be interested in sharing their experiences as LGBT employees.

We plan to release this report in June 2009. It will be available to the public on our website at www.catalyst.org. Please visit the Catalyst website for other research reports and materials.  

If you have any questions about this research, please contact Christine Silva at csilva@catalyst.org or Anika Warren at awarren@catalyst.org.