Kelly Metcalf, head of diversity, inclusion and wellbeing at Fujitsu on the BCS’ calls to end transphobic hatred

BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT marked International Transgender Day of Visibility (#TDOV) yesterday with a call to end transphobic hatred, harassment and abuse in the technology industry, and make the community safe and welcoming for all LGBTQIA+ people, regardless of their gender identity and expression.

What should organisations do to create an inclusive culture for all trans employees?

Kelly Metcalf, head of diversity, inclusion and wellbeing at Fujitsu:

“As the BCS has rightly called out, we must collectively put an end to transphobic abuse and harassment in the technology industry. For us at Fujitsu, it’s about creating an open dialogue so that Trans people have the psychological safety to share what they need in order to thrive at work.

“That said, while it’s important to start these conversation – as that’s when you establish meaningful insights you can act upon – it’s important to remember that language evolves quickly and “being scared to say the wrong thing” can quickly put people off. That’s why it’s critical we educate all our colleagues on the steps they can take to have the right conversations and build an inclusive culture for Trans people as well as all colleagues.

“Part of this includes our recent partnership with Out Now to create Allyship training for all our colleagues across Northern & Western Europe and research to understand how we sustain LGBBT+ inclusion when working remotely. Our Trans Ally guide (created by our Pride employee network) is also published online to raise awareness and promote Allyship. Our Pride network is also an essential source of this support, while insight sharing and benchmarking our practices, such as within the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index, enable us to continuously review and improve our inclusive practices.

“Ultimately, Trans people just want to be accepted and live life as their true self like everyone else. We as a workplace must ensure that we have an inclusive culture, founded on acceptance and respect, to ensure this is the case at work”