Business Ally
Recipient
Alisha Fernando
Hong Kong
Brief information about the company and why it puts LGBTQI as an important priority?
Building a truly inclusive workforce is an ongoing journey. But that doesn’t mean we don’t demand real, measurable results as we move forward. From senior leadership leading by example to our company-wide policies, LGBTQ+ inclusion is integrated at every level to ensure we are continuously making strides towards our goal.
We are proud to be consistently ranked as one of the best places to work for LGBTQ+ equality. There’s a reason for that. We’re committed to affirming LGBTQ+ identity and tackling the issues these communities face each day, so our employees feel safe and respected, know they are valued, and are empowered to shape our culture of inclusion through open and active dialogue. Because we know dialogue leads to understanding – and understanding leads to change and progress in our workplace and around the world.
The LGBTQ+ community represents a great deal of intersectionality, consisting of women, men and non-binary people of different races, ethnicities, abilities and generations. While great progress towards equality has been made, more remains to be done. From grassroots awareness efforts to company-wide policies, we’re committed to furthering that progress – guided by the unique lived experiences of our LGBTQ+ employees.
What’s one achievement the company has accomplished that you’ve led and you’re most proud of in relation to LGBTQI?
Why?
Bloomberg has achieved quite a lot in the region, with regards to progressing LGBTQ+ equity and equality within the workplace. In Hong Kong, we were the only firm to publicly take a stand for the LGBTQ+ community via commissioning a LGBTQ+ themed trams for Pride Month in 2022 and 2023. In Japan, we were recognized as a LGBTQ+ employer of choice in Tokyo by top scoring in the annual Work with Pride awards.
The initiative I had the most direct impact on the LGBTQ+ community is contributing to a Queer Straight Alliance student event – engaging with 150+ students about being their authentic selves, that the process of coming out never ends, and safe spaces. I shared that there are employers out there who will continue to create environments where they will feel welcomed, safe (physically, emotionally and mentally), valued for the contributions they make and respect for who they are. At Bloomberg, we walk the talk through our range of wellness benefits such as Gender Neutral parental leave, inclusive definitions of dependents under Bloomberg’s health plan and gender affirming medical support amongst others. This speaks to our culture of inclusion which is at the heart of our business.
What do you find most challenging about LGBTQI inclusion in your setting?
Advancing LGBTQ+ in APAC is multidimensional:
- Balancing and respecting local customs/traditions/laws in each country/city within which we operate. Across APAC, this amounts to complexities and often a juxtaposition between stated laws, community sentiments and our desire to ensure all Bloomberg colleagues are safe, treated fairly, and enjoy the same equitable access.
- Progress across the region is not consistent and overall less mature than the Americas or Europe. For us, this means there is no “one size fits all” approach to LGBTQ+ inclusion. We regularly partner with our LGBTQ+ employee resource groups to better understand what would be impactful and valuable in their home locations, what are the headwinds and opportunities we could capitalize on. In some locations we’re at the starting blocks while in others, we’re activating our allies – moving them from being passive allies towards carrying some of the emotional load on the LGBTQ+ community’s behalf.
- Conscious we’re a NY-headquartered company and ensuring we’re not imposing a Western lens to Eastern contexts. Our approach is localized, nuanced and always respectful, ensuring members of the LGBTQ+ community feel welcomed, safe, valued and respected whenever they step foot into a Bloomberg office or interact with Bloomberg colleagues.
Tell us about other initiatives that the company is currently implementing in relation to LGBTQI?
On advancing LGBTQ+ issues, we equate leadership with action. Bloomberg is proud of our continued commitment to progress, including:
- Early adopter of a set of United Nations Standards of Conduct for Business, which tackles discrimination and unfair treatment of lesbian/gay/bi/trans and intersex people in the workplace.
- Signing the Business Statement for Transgender Equality, issued in 2018 by Out Leadership and the Human Rights Campaign.
- Signing onto a 2019 amicus brief filed with the Supreme Court of the United States, urging the protection of LGBTQ+ workers from discrimination on the basis of their sex.
- Supporting and advocating for the legalization of same-sex marriage in APAC Members of Bloomberg’s legal department actively fighting for LGBTQ+ immigrants’ rights by representing LGBTQ+ refugees pro bono in their applications for asylum.
They also provide holistic pro bono legal services to support LGBTQ+ survivors of hate violence. Through Corporate Philanthropy, we provide long-term, strategic support to LGBTQ+ organizations globally. These include Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Hetrick-Martin Institute, Human Rights Campaign amongst others. Our support is regularly recognized by pioneering bodies, including Stonewall’s UK and Global Diversity Champions Programme and winning a Gold Award with our Tokyo partner work with Pride.
What else can the business sector do more in relation to LGBTQI equality?
It is a fundamental right to be welcomed into spaces, and feel safe, valued, and respected. This is a right that many in the LGBTQ+ community do not feel they have access to. Like many issues before and many that will arise after, oftentimes it is the business community’s actions, advocacy and leadership that encourages governments to review their policies and to make changes or updates. For this reason, the business community should continue to use our platforms to respectfully engage in dialogue via closed door discussions or in public forums where we can shine a light on the value that being LGBTQ+ inclusive brings. For example, when colleagues do not have to expend energy in hiding their gender identity or sexual orientation, that energy can be diverted towards work outcomes, leading to productivity gains. It also results in lower absenteeism rates, lowering human capital costs, adding to the bottom line.
For companies that are not yet considering having LGBTQI inclusion within their company, what would be your suggestion to help move their business to be more LGBTQI inclusive?
A safe place to start in this space is to always listen to your employees. Creating a LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group is a wonderful way to create foundational understanding, allyship, spaces for listening and learning and to check the temperature, sentiment and appetite for activation and advocacy. Generally in APAC, people tend to “come out” at work before they “come out” at home. This means companies play a crucial role in providing safe spaces for people to seek knowledge, guidance and support for their personal coming out journeys.
Oftentimes, offering a space for people who are questioning or who would like to connect with others who have come out, can help them navigate their own coming out in a positive way. Allyship could be from within or externally. Many companies have navigated and continue to navigate in this space and are open and willing to share their experiences, learnings and failures. Bloomberg’s Diversity & Inclusion vision is “Inclusion of All, Exclusion of None” – and to do this, we are always willing to share our experiences with our clients, peers and industry colleagues in the hope that we can contribute to creating inclusive communities both within our four walls and outside of them.
You have been nominated for the Business Ally category.
What was your reaction and please, tell us why?
When Jerome Yau contacted me to ask if I was comfortable for him (on behalf of Hong Kong Marriage Equality) to nominate me for the award, I was both humbled and embarrassed. For me, treating everyone the way they want to be treated, ensuring that I am welcoming of them, creating safety in my presence, ensuring that they know that I value and respect them, is not something I consciously do to position myself for awards or recognition. It’s just human decency. Therefore, I was embarrassed to think that me being me could be worthy of being nominated for an Allyship award.
After the initial embarrassment, I do think it is important for people to use their privilege, positional power and platforms to make change so that everyone in the LGBTQ+ community can exist in a world free from inequalities, prejudice and fear. Where they can show up and be themselves in any setting and know that they belong. That’s why I am humbled to receive this nomination and will continue to “be me” and push for change, create inclusive environments and be active in my allyship.
Please provide a warm/hopeful message that you would like to share with the other business communities in the Asia Pacific region?
Change takes time, patience and energy. It can be lonely when you try and do it yourself. But you are not alone. We can walk together, offer each other support and together continue to advocate for inclusion of all, exclusion of none!
