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Out and proud a note-worthy cause
Speech given by
Sarah Breeden, Executive Director, UK Deposit Takers Supervision
LGBT The Network of Networks (TNON) breakfast, Bank of England
25 July 2019
I would like to thank Zane Jamal, Nick Strange and Eoghan McArdle for their help and assistance in
preparing this speech
I am very pleased to welcome you all here to this cross-industry employee Network of Networks (TNON)1
event at the bank for banks that is more famously known as the Bank of England.
Being a bank for other banks is just one of our roles. For many people, we are known best for printing
Sterling banknotes.
On that theme, I am sure that many of you are aware that just last week we announced that the new face for
our next 50 pound note will be Alan Turing - father of computing and artificial intelligence, the basis of our
modern economy, and a gay man persecuted for his sexuality2.
The response to this news from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender plus (LGBT+) community has been
incredibly positive. Speaking personally, I was thrilled to hear it given my role as executive sponsor of the
Bank's LGBT+ and Allies network.
Building on this positive momentum, I want to use my opening remarks today to set out what more we can do
to support this community. And to offer a very practical suggestion as to how each of you might be able to
do more in your organisations too.
Why diversity and inclusion matters
The Bank's approach is to consider all aspects of diversity as part of a broad strategy to deliver an inclusive
working environment for all our colleagues.
And I can tell you from speaking with senior leaders throughout the City that diversity and inclusion are no
longer seen as HR buzzwords, but as critical ingredients to running a successful organisation.
A workforce that lacks diversity will never be as effective as it could be. That should be obvious. If we look
the same, think the same, and come from the same backgrounds, then we are bound to make the same
mistakes.
Strangely enough, I have found an analogy to this issue in my day job as the supervisor of UK banks.
If a bank has substantial exposures in one sector or geography, it is running significant risk. On the other
hand, a bank with a diversified portfolio is less exposed to something going wrong in any one area, and so
will likely find itself better positioned, in most states of the world, to weather bad times.
1
Launched in 2011, "The Network of Networks" (TNON) serves as both a forum for sharing best practice and a support community
for
the leaders of employee networks. Further information can be found online here: http://www.tnongroup.com/
2
See Mark Carney https://www.bankofengland.co.uk/speech/2019/50-note-character-selection-announcement
turns out the same thinking can be applied to a company's workforce. Instead of equity capital you have
It
human capital, and instead of investing in financial assets you are investing in people. A diverse portfolio
makes a company more resilient, and so too does a diverse workforce - delivering better outcomes for
individuals, communities and the company.
As we look ahead, changes in society mean the workforce of the future will be markedly different from that of
today.
Recent surveys have found that just short of half of 18-24 year olds identify as something other than
exclusively heterosexual or homosexual3, and a similar proportion of Millennials view gender as a spectrum4.
These individuals are in and entering the workforce now. If we are to reflect the society we serve and in so
doing attract the best talent, we need to make sure they know that they can bring their whole selves to work:
that they belong.
So the case for a diverse workforce is clear5. What many of us struggle with is how to attract, develop and
maintain such a workforce.
Unfortunately, diversity does not, in our experience, emerge organically at the workplace. It needs to be
nurtured from recruitment to development and promotion. And it must be underpinned by an inclusive work
environment for it to be sustainable.
How we can support LGBT+ colleagues
The question we have been considering is what might this mean for LGBT+ colleagues given the challenges
they face - some of which are unique, while others are common to many minority groups.
Being open with colleagues is an example of a particular concern within the LGBT+ community.
Individuals can find revealing their sexual orientation and gender identity or expression difficult or even
distressing in a workplace setting. And it is a process they may need to repeat endlessly given these
characteristics are not always visible.
According to a report by Stonewall6, more than a third of LGBT+ colleagues had hidden or disguised the fact
that they were LGBT+ at work in the prior year because they were afraid of discrimination.
3
https://d25d2506sfb94s.cloudfront.net/cumulus_uploads/document/0mefw998rr/YG-Archive-SexualityScaleInternal-240519.pdf
4
https://survation.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Full-Fawcett-Tables-FM-Cover-1-12.pdf
5
https://www.cipd.co.uk/Images/diversity-and-inclusion-at-work_2018-facing-up-to-the-business-case-technical-report_tcm18-47062.pdf
6
https://www.stonewall.org.uk/LGBT+-britain-work-report
This needs to be addressed head on. We must make sure that colleagues feel they can be open at work
without any fear of discrimination or judgement.
LGBT+ colleagues are also disproportionately subject to bullying and harassment. The Stonewall report
found that almost one in five LGBT+ colleagues have been the target of negative comments or conduct from
work colleagues in the last year because they were LGBT+.
Also worryingly, the survey found that one in eight lesbian, gay and bi people would not feel confident
reporting any homophobic or biphobic bullying to their employer. And one in five trans people would not
report transphobic bullying in the workplace.
Employers need to adopt a zero tolerance policy for bullying and harassment and they need to encourage
reporting of incidents. This needs to include ways to call out bad behaviour as well as clear processes for
reporting and dealing with incidents.
In addressing these issues, we can also benefit from our experiences with gender and ethnic diversity.
One of the major lessons we have learned from promoting gender diversity is the need for visible support by
senior leadership.
That means empowered employee networks with executive sponsors.
But it also needs a wide range of senior management to participate in and lead LGBT+ events and initiatives,
within their own organisation and externally. Visible buy-in from the top is necessary for change to permeate
and catalyse a cultural shift.
We also need to raise awareness amongst staff and managers on LGBT+ issues. This is especially
important as the concerns of the community may not be familiar to those outside it. A more informed
workforce will inevitably be more understanding and inclusive.
Finally, we need to track our progress. That means finding ways to encourage colleagues to disclose by
handling data sensitively and explaining why it is needed in the first place.
an 'out and proud' charter
Our commitment -
Building on our experience with gender and ethnicity, we see the value in making a formal commitment to
supporting LGBT+ colleagues that will drive change through our organisation.
And just as it is important for senior leadership in an organisation to set the tone from the top, we think it
equally important to share our commitment publicly - with the rest of our industry and more broadly.
So we have codified these principles into an 'Out and Proud' Charter which we are publishing today.
This principles-based Charter aims to ensure that we take steps to create a safe, inclusive environment
where people from the LGBT+ community can bring their whole selves to work, irrespective of their sexual
orientation, gender identity or gender expression.
While important, this is only a first step.
Policies and frameworks take us so far. However a 2018 study7 found that an LGBT+-supportive climate and
supportive workplace relationships are more impactful than formal policies in improving the lives of LGBT+
colleagues at work.
So the key will be to translate these principles into specific actions which deliver real outcomes for the
LGBT+ community. We will do that by publishing at a later date, and after consultation with colleagues,
specific actions that reflect the principles in the Charter.
Our hope is that your organisations and others can use this Charter, or one similar to it, to help you on your
own journey of fuller LGBT+ diversity and inclusion.
I mentioned earlier our decision to put Alan Turing on the new 50 pound note.
Few people have had as big an impact on modern society as has Turing. And like many great scientists, he
was always looking to solve new problems and to identify areas for improvement.
sets out the Turing test concludes:
His famous essay in the Mind journal where he "We can only see a short
distance ahead, but we can see plenty there that needs to be done."
At the time he was talking about machines and artificial intelligence. Let's each of us take that same lesson
and use it to build a more inclusive work environment.
7
"Workplace contextual supports for LGBT+
Webster, J.R., Adams, G.A., Maranto, C.L., et al. (2018) employees: a review,
and agenda for future
meta-analysis, research". Human Resource Management. Vol 57, No 1. pp193-210.