Cost of thinking twice
To IDAHOT* or not to IDAHOT?
*International Day Against Homo- and Transphobia
Is it a good idea as an organisation to display the rainbow flag on IDAHOT, for example?
– YES, because this way LGBTQI+ employees can feel recognised and this can have a positive impact on their well-being.
– NO, because when this is only a one-off action to improve one’s own image, whereas within the organisation, for example, LGBTQI+ employees face discriminatio, thismay have a counterproductive effect.
It must therefore be part of the bigger picture.
Whether or not you are open about your sexual orientation at work, both options have their advantages and disadvantages. On the one hand, disclosing your sexual preference increases satisfaction because one can be more oneself, and on the other hand, one can more easily become a victim of discrimination.
The organisational culture plays an important role in this: in an open and inclusive organisational culture, LGBTQI+-employees are more likely to be “out” and feel better.
The fact that the choice on whether or not to disclose your sexual preference at work is a difficult one, one that starts a continuous cognitive process, is illustrated by the diagram below “the cost of thinking twice”, and this is just the “simple version”.
