On Tuesday, April 23, over 100 Sky Ireland employees completed the Pride at Work seminar, with the organisation officially becoming a certified Dublin Pride partner.

The Sky Executive team works hard to ensure that their work environment is a safe space for employees to learn and support one another. Sky recognises the importance of offering LGBTQ+ education and inclusive policies in the workplace, and the company has been a proud sponsor of Dublin Pride since 2015.

After beginning the journey of becoming a certified Pride partner in 2023, employees were invited to complete a series of Pride at Work learning sessions.

Each session covered different topics and themes demonstrating Sky’s commitment to creating inclusive workspaces. Tuesday’s ‘Bias and Behaviour’ session was the sixth in the series, and it focused on understanding and addressing different types of bias including unconscious bias.

During the session led by Dublin Pride’s Jed Dowling, employees considered how microaggressions like unwanted jokes and seemingly small acts of kindness like speaking up when prejudice occurs can both make different but big impacts in the workplace.

Over 100 employees participated in the programme, and the topics were received with fantastic levels of engagement. Many employees further researched the topics and continued to discuss the information presented after each session.

 

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Upon completion of the programme, Dublin Pride presented Sky with a Pride Partner Certificate, and Sky Exec Sponsor Director of Legal, Áine Connor, graciously accepted the certificate.

Áine spoke to the room and emphasised that while Pride is an important way to demonstrate solidarity, the occasion isn’t only about rainbows and parades. She said that ideally, we should be living and breathing Pride and showing up for each other all year round.

She said the leadership team prioritises creating “a safe and inclusive place to work,” and recognised the contributions of Sky’s LGBTQ+ employee network, thanking members for volunteering their time on top of their day jobs. The group provides professional and social networking opportunities for LGBTQ+ employees, while also offering support and creating a safe space to share important topics and ideas.

GCN was honoured to attend the session and learn about Sky’s commitment to LGBTQ+ workers. The company sets an excellent example, proving why it consistently ranks highly in Stonewall’s list of Top 100 Employers for LGBTQ+ people.