Today, however, as Director, Culture, Inclusion & Leadership, Pembina Pipeline Corporation, Debb reports that “I’m exactly where I need to be personally and professionally and even, I would say, spiritually.”

Debb’s commitment to social justice has always driven her career, but her path was never linear. “The anchor and beacon for all of [my work] is wanting to make social change … in particular going into settings where we really feel and believe that the change is needed most,” Debb says. This commitment to changing society for the better carried her from consulting to pursuing an academic career in social work and back again, and finally to her EDI role at Pembina.

“I took a chance on them and they took a chance on me,” she says of her move from consulting to Pembina. She and the company are equally committed to making change, and her role has allowed her to create a more inclusive culture in ways that are deeply meaningful to her.

When Debb was growing up, there was a lack of visibility for LGBTQ+ people, and her memory of this void fuels her commitment. “I knew that when I started at Pembina, I was going to be open about who I am … I hope that it creates some level of representation and visibility for people here that are part of the LGBTQ+ community.” She now regularly returns to Sarnia to visit Pembina’s site and celebrate Pride with employees there, explaining, “For me, representation … is essential to how I do my work; it’s absolutely built into my DNA.”

Debb’s efforts are also inspired by her 15-year-old son. “I knew that when my son came into the world … part of my work would be wanting to shift male norms … I kept thinking, ‘If we can make change in this area, if we can engage men in pursuit of gender inclusion and gender equity for everyone … real change is possible.’”

Debb’s goal for her work at Pembina? To create a space where “whoever you are, wherever you are, you belong here.”

To hear from Debb and other gender equity and DEI champions, attend Catalyst Honours on 7 October, 2024.

Why Debb is an HR/DEI Champion:

• Inclusion Networks: Debb initiated and developed five Inclusion Networks at Pembina—Pride Pembina, Women’s Inclusion Network, Multicultural Resource Network, Indigenous Inclusion Network, and Men’s Mental Health Inclusion Network. These groups foster community and belonging by addressing EDI topics for employees from marginalized groups and allies.
• Conversations for Change (C4C): Debb leads this company-wide platform where storytelling and personal experiences of employees are centered in discussions on EDI topics. By nurturing relationships and facilitating ongoing connections among panelists, Debb promotes empathy, compassion, and allyship.
• Field-based EDI Support: Debb directs Pembina’s Culture, Inclusion, and Leadership strategy, focusing on operational and field sites to enhance women’s representation and inclusion. Key to this strategy is the “EDI Operations” role, dedicated to fostering engagement and retention strategies for women in rural and remote field locations.

The post Debb Hurlock: Fostering belonging in the energy sector appeared first on Catalyst.

Welcome to Season 1, episode 5 of Breaking with Tradition, Catalyst’s podcast that explores trends and ideas that will impact the future of the global workplace. This episode is called Broadening Gender in Workplace DEI.

Catalyst has been accelerating progress for women for over 60 years, and our future vision is “workplaces that work for women.” To many women, this vision is a rallying cry because the status quo of workplaces is that they don’t work for women. But where do men fit into the equation in this future workplace? And what about trans and gender non-conforming (TGNC) employees?

Join Erin Souza-Rezendes as she sits down with Dani Gomez-Ortega, Senior Manager, Global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at McCain Foods, and Mark Greene, a writer, inclusion coach, and host of Remaking Manhood. Together, they tackle the complex subject of gender and how we talk about it in the workplace.

First, we start with the basics: what does “gender equity” mean in today’s world? And how is that reflected in the workplace—or not? Before long, we dive into “Man Box Culture,” how women can be allies to men, and the importance of vulnerability in conversations around gender.

Grab a drink and sit down with our panel to hear their inspiring perspectives on this topic and how we can shift workplace cultures so that nobody is left behind.

Hosts and guest

Erin Souza-Rezendes, VP, Global Communications, Catalyst

LinkedIn | Bio

Dani Gomez-Ortega is a global Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion leader with a passion for empowering others to create more inclusive spaces. Dani has championed inclusion across various sectors for 10 years. Currently, Dani works as a global DEI leader at McCain Foods, where she collaborates with teams across the world to drive inclusion.

Most recently, Dani was featured in the book Global Changemakers for a Feminist Future by Dr. Gayle Kimball and has won multiple awards for her work, including a Bill 7 Award. Dani’s work and commitment to inclusion are shaped by her lived experience as a Venezuelan Latinx, immigrant, transgender woman with an invisible disability.
LinkedIn

Mark Greene is an author and activist who speaks, consults, and coaches on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Mark works with organizations and individuals to overcome the challenges created by retrogressive workplace cultures. Mark’s client list includes General Mills, Société Générale, Sephora, AOL, Bank of America, Catalyst, and The Better Man Conference.

Mark is the author of The Little #MeToo Book for Men and Remaking Manhood, and co-author, along with Dr. Saliha Bava, of The Relational Book for Parenting and The Relational Workplace. Mark is co-host of Remaking Manhood, the Healthy Masculinity Podcast, available on all major streaming platforms.

Website | LinkedIn

In this episode

• 1:24 | What does gender equity mean to you? Spoiler alert: it goes beyond equity for women alone.
• 5:04 | The “evolution” of gender norms—or not. And have they been reflected in the workplace?
• 8:56 | Workplaces still aren’t safe for everyone. Where can we look for solutions? What is men’s role?
• 12:30 | Women can be allies to men, too People of all genders have work to do on how we define masculinity and femininity.
• 18:34 | We need gender equity inside and outside the workplace. How can we make work more connected and joyful?
• 20:57 | Closing thoughts (both practical and inspiring). Questions companies can ask to create more gender-inclusive workplaces and personal anecdotes from our panelists about how they show up.

Favorite moments

• 1:45 | Dani: When we talk about gender equity, it can’t just be about women. It’s also about men, but also about all the other genders that exist in the world.
• 6:00 | Mark: It’s become evident that if we don’t make space for conversations among men about men, men will continue to fall prey to the single primary purpose of “Man Box Culture,” which is to keep us silent and keep us conforming without ever checking in with each other about where did we learn these ideas about dominant space masculinity?
• 7:54 | Dani: I think people are slowly but surely starting to realize that [gender norms and gender roles] are made up, right? And they’re not necessarily benefiting us in the way that they might have benefited us in some magical time in the past.
• 11:44 | Mark: What we need men to hear and do now is that you cannot remain silent any longer because your own mental health, the mental health of your coworkers, of the people in your life, the well-being and future hope of everyone requires that we push through decades of conditioning we’ve had to remain silent by the bullying men around us.
• 13:20 | Mark: When we start to define male strength as including the full spectrum of human capacities, which we all have, which include things like caregiving, empathy, listening with curiosity… And we invite women at the same time to bring those aspects that are traditionally referred to as masculine, which is strength, leadership, toughness…When everyone is invited to bring their full human capacities, we start to change things.
• 14:39 | Dani: As women, we need to recognize that men have really high rates of mental health challenges. Especially when we talk about suicide rates. And so, it’s up to us to create space for men where they can be vulnerable and ask for help. Unless we create the space, that space is not going to be created.
• 15:55 | Mark: Vulnerability means, ultimately, to reveal. And when we reveal, we tap into an incredible resource because our resiliency, our success in the workplace, our capacity to live richer, fuller lives, is co-created with other people.
• 19:16 | Mark: The question becomes for us as human beings, why can’t we have as rich and meaningful of relationships in the workplace as we have in any other of our communities, in our churches, in our families?
• 20:28 | Dani: In the workplace, some people need to be able to talk about their lives, talk about their family, talk about their same-sex partners. Other people need privacy to succeed. It’s about recognizing individuality and giving everyone the ability to come to work the way that makes them feel happiest, even if that means being private about some things.
• 21:06 | Dani: We need to ask more questions. We first need to ask, “Who’s here?” Who’s in our company? It’s not just women—it’s men and non-binary people, Two-Spirit people, etc. Then we need to ask, how are they feeling? We need to segment that data to make sure we capture how different genders are experiencing the workplace. After that, we need to do research around where the gaps are and see what strategies we can enact to ensure that all genders are feeling included.
• 22:28 | Dani: I try to break with tradition by taking up space, by speaking up, and trying to be as visible as possible as a trans person to ensure that being trans in the workplace is no longer a thing that needs to be highlighted.
• 23.43 | Mark: Each and every one of us must step outside of our comfort zone and show the kind of courage that a lot of folks are publicly displaying right now in a genuinely unsafe world.

Mentioned on the Pod

• Equimundo: The Man Box – A Study on Being a Young Man in the US, UK, and Mexico
• Harvard University Press: Deep Secrets – Boys’ Friendships and the Crisis of Connection
• Penguin Random House: Rebels with a Cause – Reimagining Boys, Ourselves, and Our Culture
• The Cigna Group: TThe Loneliness Epidemic Persists: A Post-Pandemic Look at the State of Loneliness among U.S. Adults

Research you can use

• Masculine Anxiety and Interrupting Sexism at Work
• Interrupting Sexism at Work: What Drives Men to Respond Directly or Do Nothing?
• How Organizations Can Encourage Men to Interrupt Sexism
• Engaging Men: The Journey Toward Equity
• Engaging Men: Barriers and Gender Norms
• Flip the Script: Transgender in the Workplace (Supporter Only)
• Move Beyond Performative Allyship for Your 2SLGBTQ+ Employees
• 5 Ways to Create a Gender-Inclusive Workplace
• What is Gender? A Guide to Understand Gender Identity (Supporter Only)

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The post Episode 105: Broadening Gender in Workplace DEI appeared first on Catalyst.

With LGBTQ+ employees frequently reporting lower levels of psychological safety and belonging across a range of measures than their non-LGBTQ+ colleagues, business leaders have to commit to a multi-pronged approach to inclusion for the entire calendar — not just during Pride month. This means implementing genuine DEI policies, modeling inclusion at the highest levels of leadership, and utilizing every tool at their disposal to build out a holistic suite of inclusive programs and policies.

LGBTQ+-focused Employee Resource Groups are frequently among the oldest and most robust ERGs at any given organization. This uniquely positions them to take the work of employee engagement to the next level. Organizations can leverage advanced intersectional ERGs to catapult employee belonging and engagement into a new era.

Join our panel of experts for Pride Month to discuss:

• The complex history of Pride Month and LGBTQ+ rights and inclusion in the workplace
• Strategies for moving ERGs from the intermediate stage to the advanced stage
• Best practices for leveraging the unique position of ERGs to advance business priorities that go hand-in-hand with employee belonging

For questions, please contact catalystevents@catalyst.org.

Catalyst is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities.

The post Unity in Diversity: Building Intersectional LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Groups for Women appeared first on Catalyst.

The Catalyst webinar “Active Allyship: Strengthening LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Your Company” kicked off with an overview of EY’s recent LGBTQ+ Workplace Barometer Report, which surveyed over 500 corporate members and showed that younger generations of LGBTQ+ employees, particularly members of Gen Z, expect inclusion at work, and that when employees experience inclusion, they are more likely to stay.

Moderated by Josh Smalley Baldasare, Director, Content Creation, Global Marketing and Communications, Catalyst (he/him), the panel featured insights from industry leaders in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The panelists included Bobby Gale, Director, Analytical and Data Platforms, Loblaw Companies Ltd. (they/them); Chris Crespo, Director–DEI, EY (she/they); Ella Slade, Diversity & Inclusion Lead (LGBT+ Inclusion) Learning & Performance UK, Vodafone (they/them); Japneet Kaur, Senior Manager–Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, TD Bank Financial Group (she/her); Kimberley Messer, VP, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, IGM Financial (she/her); and Leah Brome, Director, Inclusion, Diversity, & Equity, Global, Kyndryl (she/her).

Here are the top five recommendations they shared for organizational leaders to build allyship in their workplace culture so that LGBTQ+ employees experience inclusion:

1. Identify and address discrimination. Implement global non-discrimination policies, establish confidential grievance procedures like Vodafone’s “Speak Up” process, and use employee engagement surveys and exit interviews to uncover—and then address—discrimination effectively.
2. Provide educational opportunities. Offer trainings on topics such as gender identity and maintain ongoing awareness efforts to counter increasing anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric.
3. Move from performative to genuine allyship. Engage with LGBTQ+ employees to ensure initiatives are driven by actual needs. Offer comprehensive mental health resources and gender-affirming healthcare to fully support the LGBTQ+ community.
4. Speak up publicly and inclusively. Make public statements on diversity and inclusion and integrate inclusive language in communications. CEOs should engage directly with employees to foster a culture of genuine allyship.
5. Enable managers and ERGs to be effective allies. Provide managers opportunities to learn more about inclusion in teams and collaborate with ERGs.

Additional Takeaways

• Avoid making heteronormative assumptions, asking intrusive questions about queer identities, or giving backhanded compliments that perpetuate harmful stereotypes.
• Respect people’s pronouns and encourage allies to educate themselves and do their own research without burdening marginalized groups.
• Understand that being part of the LGBTQ+ community does not mean you automatically know everything about the experiences of all its members.
• Stay humble and committed to continuous learning and growth within the community. Be open and curious about others’ experiences and perspectives.

Creating a culture of genuine allyship requires continual effort and inclusive policies that support LGBTQ+ employees year-round. By prioritizing authenticity and understanding the profound impact of allyship, organizations can create environments where all employees thrive, contributing to a more equitable workplace for everyone.

Not yet a Catalyst Supporter? Join our community.

The post How to Build Genuine LGBTQ+ Allyship in Your Company appeared first on Catalyst.

During Pride month, many organizations are quick to voice their support for LGBTQ+ employees and customers. But funneling that support into a single month, without further culture and structure change, can leave employees feeling unsafe, unseen, and left behind. In 2022, the Center for American Progress found that half of LGBTQ+ adults reported discriminatory experiences due to their identity—consistent with a UCLA study finding that more than one-third (34.2%) of LGBTQ+ employees have left a job due to such treatment by their employer.  

This alarming data signals an opportunity for inclusive business leaders to elevate their policies around LGBTQ+ inclusion from performative to genuine. Doing so puts companies on the path to building workplaces that address discrimination head-on, both because it’s a smart business strategy and because it’s the right thing to do. 

Watch this webinar to hear our panel of experts discuss: 

• Why performative policies lead to a decrease in employee trust, team performance, employee productivity, and retention.
• How leaders can implement genuine policies that make real change and build trust for LGBTQ+ employees.
• The impact senior leaders modeling true allyship has toward advancing LGBTQ+ equity.

Speakers

Bobby Gale, Director, Analytical and Data Platforms, Loblaw Companies Ltd. (They/Them)

Moderator

Josh Smalley Baldasare, Director, Content Creation, Global Marketing and Communications, Catalyst (Hem/Him)

Note: Please log in to the website with your Catalyst Supporter organization email to access the recording.

For questions, please contact catalystevents@catalyst.org.

Read our recap of this dynamic webinar.

The post Webinar Recording: Active Allyship: Strengthening LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Your Company appeared first on Catalyst.

The post Flip the Script: Transgender in the Workplace appeared first on Catalyst.

The post Sexual Orientation in the Workplace: Flip the Script (Infographic) appeared first on Catalyst.

At a time of rising anti-2SLGBTQ+ demonstrations and violence in North America, as reported by ACLED, performative DEI policies risk alienating their employees and allowing bias to go unchallenged in the broader Canadian cultural conversation.

In the conference session “From Flags to Fulfillment: Failing Forward on 2SLGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion to Advance Concrete Change,” Cafley moderated a conversation with 2SLGBTQ+ advocates David Simmonds, SVP, Global Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer, Canada Life and Amy Hanen, AVP, Sustainability and Corporate Citizenship, TD Bank Group.

Together, the panel explored how organizations can move beyond performative allyship to take action that drives meaningful inclusion and belonging for 2SLGBTQ+ employees.

Here are some key takeaways from the session:

Create Psychologically Safe and Courageous Spaces

Employers need to create work cultures that are safe for people to bring their authentic selves while also making space for people to learn from their mistakes, Simmonds said.

“When [Canada Life] talks about innovation, we put failure as a key requirement,” he said. “We talk about learning lessons from failures. The challenge in DEI work is that the margin of error is often on [marginalized] people… We must accept that at no point is hurting individuals appropriate, but we must invite people to a space where we build a better culture.”

Simmonds cautioned companies from expecting 2SLGBTQ+ and other employees from non-dominant groups to bring more of themselves to professional settings than they desired.

“Bring as much of yourself to work that unlocks your potential and drives the business forward,” he suggested as an invitation. Employees should have the agency to adapt how they show up and contribute to the organization.

Weather-Proof Your DEI Commitments With Your “Why”

According to Hanen, a company must be clear about its “why” to move beyond performative allyship to genuine commitment, finding its “swim lane.”

“[At TD Bank], the two things we keep in mind are: First, what’s our ‘why’? For us, our ‘why’ is creating safe and inclusive spaces for our employees. And that informs where we take our positions,” said Hanen. “And second, we must be prepared for backlash. You expect it. You know it’s coming. And so, you’re prepared to deal with that.”

The substance of an organization’s commitment doesn’t change because of external criticism if you stay grounded in your purpose. “Allyship is an expression of values,” Hanen explained.

In today’s world of 2SLGBTQ+ advocacy, “we have an embarrassment of rich resources around us that can tell us how to be better allies,” said Hanen. “The downside of that is that it can lead to performativity, what to do rather than why.”

“As we look forward, what the lessons of history tell us is that we have to remember that people have to learn how and why to care, not just how and why to act,” she concluded.

Don’t Be Quiet in Times of Backlash

During this cultural moment of pushback against the 2SLGBTQ+ community, both panelists agreed: make some noise.

“As soon as things like this start to happen, our employees wonder, are we still with them?” said Hanen. “The first thing organizations need to do is reaffirm their unwavering commitment.”

Bringing in a historical perspective, Hanen explained how the early 2SLGBTQ+ movement benefitted from the fact that most people realized they had a gay or lesbian person in their lives. But with today’s backlash against the smaller transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) population, there’s a greater need for allies to amplify and platform the stories and lived experiences of TGNC colleagues.

Simmonds added: “I don’t think the majority of society wants to do things that are negative to their neighbors, loved ones, and friends.”

However, “there is a mythology developing that’s untrue, not grounded in fact, and is damaging,” he said. “So, if you have the ability or platform to speak up, to lend your voice, I challenge you to do that because that’s the only way we deconstruct what’s happening on the other side of the argument.”

Make Heroes, Not Bullies or Bystanders

Companies can better ground themselves in this work by asking one question: “How do you build heroes, not bullies and bystanders?”

Simmonds concluded the session by referencing The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander by Barbara Coloroso, which describes how parents teach their kids to be one of those three things.

“How do we [teach our kids to be heroes]?” asked Simmonds. “We teach [them] to care deeply, to share willingly, and to give generously. And often, when I have conversations about uncomfortable realities of identity, I say, if you can anchor it back into those three things, you’re a better leader and manager.”

The post Move Beyond Performative Allyship for Your 2SLGBTQ+ Employees (Blog Post) appeared first on Catalyst.

This alarming data signals an opportunity for inclusive business leaders to elevate their policies around LGBTQ+ inclusion from performative to genuine. Doing so puts companies on the path to building workplaces that address discrimination head-on, both because it’s a smart business strategy and because it’s the right thing to do. 

Join this webinar to hear our panel of experts discuss: 

• Why performative policies lead to a decrease in employee trust, team performance, employee productivity, and retention.
• How leaders can implement genuine policies that make real change and build trust for LGBTQ+ employees.
• The impact senior leaders modeling true allyship has toward advancing LGBTQ+ equity.

Speakers

Bobby Gale, Director, Analytical and Data Platforms, Loblaw Companies Ltd. (They/Them)

Moderator

Josh Smalley Baldasare, Director, Content Creation, Global Marketing and Communications, Catalyst (Hem/Him)

Note: Please log in to the website with your Catalyst Supporter organization email to access registration.

For questions, please contact catalystevents@catalyst.org.

Catalyst is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities.

The post Active Allyship: Strengthening LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Your Company (Webinar) appeared first on Catalyst.

Speakers

Amy Hanen, AVP, Sustainability and Corporate Citizenship at TD Bank

Al Ramsay, VP & Head | 2SLGBTQ+ & Black Customer Segments TD Bank Group

Sharon Chung, Senior Manager, Diversity Sourcing, TD Bank

Tim Thompson, Senior Vice President, Corporate Evolution and Change Enablement, TD Bank

Moderator

Janet Piper, Senior Director, Corporate Engagement at Catalyst

The post Roundtable Recording: LGBTQ+ Inclusion at TD – Forever Proud. Forever Progressing appeared first on Catalyst.