OUTstanding, the leading LGBT+ membership organisation, has launched an Irish membership proposition. Founding members include ESB, EY, Sodexo, PayPal, LinkedIn and Eversheds-Sutherland.

Opening an office in Dublin and launching a bespoke membership package for Irish firms marks a significant expansion for OUTstanding, and provides an opportunity to further the inclusion agenda across Irish businesses.

In the latest issue of GCN (Issue 334), the organisation explained that it works with businesses to help them “create an environment where LGBT+ employees can succeed” by fostering inclusion and diversity in their members’ organisations.

“We know that harnessing the talent of all executives and allowing them to be themselves is hugely powerful for our companies, our economy, our society and more importantly, for the individuals themselves,” the company’s about page reads.

Workplace Experiences

For some LGBT+ people, negative experiences in the workplace are familiar territory, with NXF’s Burning Issues 2 survey revealing that only two-thirds of respondents were out to all colleagues.

“OUTstanding is built on the belief that businesses should reflect the societies they serve, and we’ve known for some time that there’s an appetite for a network such as ours in Ireland,” said OUTstanding Founder and CEO, Suki Sandhu.

“Opening an office in Dublin provides us with a huge opportunity to expand our network reach and continue shifting the dial towards a more inclusive world.”

According to OUTstanding, 41% of employees “don’t feel comfortable coming out at work,” while 43% of gay men have experienced homophobia in the workplace.

One in four workers are “not open to colleagues about their sexual orientation” the company revealed, while nearly two-thirds of graduates go back in the closet when they land their first job.

How Can OUTstanding Help?

Working with OUTstanding is one guaranteed way to accomplish this. OUTstanding can help with the following:

“We inspire through our Top OUTstanding list, which is published annually in a Financial Times special report on Executive Diversity, with a focus on LGBT.

We inform by commissioning research , as well as by collating key learnings from our events, which we share with our members through our online resources.

We connect our members via our exclusive events, including board readiness sessions, business discussions, audiences with key business leaders, and professional networking evenings.

We facilitate mentoring programmes, where nominated delegates have the opportunity to develop their professional skill set by learning from guiding peers.”

For more information about OUTstanding and membership enquiries, please contact Ori Chandler by email.