Xerox and the UN’s Global LGBTI Standards for Business

By Beverly Stallings-Johnson

The United Nations Human Rights Office has developed standards that can help business promote equality for lesbian, gay, bi, trans and intersex people in the workplace and beyond.

Xerox is proud to support these standards and be a workplace of inclusion.

United Nations High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein noted the private sector’s leadership role that helps ensure their lesbian, gay, bi, trans and intersex (LGBTI) people are treated with dignity, and have equal opportunities in the workplace and beyond. This includes eliminating unfair treatment in the workplace, making sure business operations do not contribute to discrimination against customers, suppliers or members of the public, and working with business partners to address discriminatory practices across the supply chain. The standards also encourage companies to stand up for the rights of LGBTI people in the countries where they operate – including through advocacy and support for local organizations.

The five standards are:

• Respect the human rights of their LGBTI workers, customers and members of the public.
• Eliminate workplace discrimination against LGBTI employees.
• Support LGBTI employees at work.
• Prevent discrimination and related abuses against LGBTI customers, suppliers and distributors – and insist that suppliers do the same.
• Stand up for the human rights of LGBTI people in the communities where companies do business.

Diversity and inclusion at Xerox

Here’s a look at some of the articles we’ve published on the topic of LGBTI people in the workplace and our communities. You will note that LGBTI and LGBT are used interchangeably.

Diversity and Inclusion: It’s in our DNA by Hervé Tessler: Commenting on the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on marriage equality, Hervé points out  that, at Xerox, diversity is not viewed as a mandate, but as an essential part of our corporate culture.

Your Employees Can Help Create LGBT Equality at Work LGBT inclusion and workplace equality helps companies achieve their business goals and bottom line results. 

The Power of Allies for Your Diversity and Inclusion Program LGBT people are compared to modern superheroes who have hide from the world behind a mask. Like Batgirl or Iron Man, these real-life super heroes need sidekicks – allies – who can be in places and in conversations where they can influence others on their behalf. Employee resource groups (ERG) help their members find their allies throughout their workplaces, communities and careers. GALAXe Pride at Work, the ERG for LGBT employees, is celebrating its 30^th anniversary.

Learn more

Learn more about diversity and inclusion at Xerox: Xerox committed itself to a policy of workforce diversity more than 50 years ago. The policy has been affirmed, promoted and improved upon by each and every Xerox chairman since. Our diverse backgrounds and perspectives give us the benefit of different ways of looking at our business – leading to innovative breakthroughs for our customers and more engaging work for our people.

Visit xerox.com/jobs, consider a career at Xerox, and discover your potential. Xerox is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

For more information from the U.N.: unfe.org/standards