27/12/2015

HowtheGodrejgroupiscreatinganinclusiveculturetoacceptitsLGBTcolleaguesTheEconomicTimes

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HowtheGodrejgroupiscreatinganinclusivecultureto
acceptitsLGBTcolleagues
BySumanLayak,ETBureau|27Dec,2015,05.00AMIST

PostaComment

FarahNathaniMenziesspentherfirstyearinhernewassignmentatGodrejIndustriesLtd
(GIL)makingsurethewomenemployeesfeltmorecomfortableintheirworkplace.Shehad
movedtoGodrejConsumerProductsLtd(GCPL)fromBainin2010,andafteracoupleof
internationalstintsinSouthAmericannationshadtakenoverastheheadofdiversityand
inclusionatGIL.Genderdiversitywasthelowhangingfruitandrealitydawnedsoon
enough.InacasualconversationwithUdayanDhar,oneofhermalecolleaguesinhuman
resources,heexplainedhowheconstantlyfeltleftoutintheoffice.
OutoftheCloset
"IwouldbeproudifwecreateaculturewhereourLGBT
UdayanwasamongthefewpeopleinFarah'sworkplacewhohadcomeoutasgay."When
colleaguescanbecomfortablebeing'out'atwork,"saysNisaba
peoplecomebacktowork,afteragoodweekendtheydiscusswhattheydidwiththeir
Godrej,director,GIL.
families.But,notUdayan,ashewasneversurehiscolleagueswouldaccepttheideaofhis
havingamalepartner,"saysFarah.Shetookthisupashernextdiversityproject,making
lesbiansandgaysfeelmorecomfortableinoffice.Andtohelpherinthisproject,shegot
ETSPECIAL: Lovevisualaspectofnews?Enjoy
supportfromNisabaGodrej,directorofGILanddaughterofgroupchairmanAdiGodrej.As
thisexclusiveslideshowstreat!
akickoff,NisabaGodrejwroteanemailtoallemployeesonMay17,2014,theinternational
dayagainsthomophobia."AtGodrej,westronglybelievethateachoneofusisuniqueand
wecanonlytrulyflourishwhenwecanbeour'wholeself'atwork...IwouldbeproudifwecreateaculturewhereourLGBTcolleagues
canbecomfortablebeing'out'atworkandeverysingleoneofusisinclusiveandrespectfulofit."

UdayanwasnottheonlyoneinGodrejwhowasopenabouthisdifferentsexualorientation.ParmeshShahani,headofGodrejIndia
CultureLab,isawellknowngayactivist,andauthorofthebookGayBombay.TheNisabaGodrejmailopenthedoorsforothers,helping
themcomeout.OneofthemwhocrossedthisworkplaceRubiconwasApekshitKhare.WhenGodrejannouncedachangeinpolicyso
thatpeoplecouldnominatetheirsamesexpartnersinacommittedrelationshipforbenefitsliketreatmentatthegroup'shospital,Apekshit
wasthefirstonetotakeitupandnominatehispartner.
Apekshit,29,agraduatefromtheIIMKozikhode,hailsfromBhopalandjoinedtheGodrejGroupin2010straightoutofBschool.Through
hislife,ApekshitdiscoveredthatbeinggayinIndiaentailscomingoutoftheclosetseveraltimes.Hecameouttohimselfduringhisfirst
yearsinengineeringcollegeinBhopal."FirstIthoughtIwasaweirdo.Thenby2005Iwascomfortablewiththeidea.ButonlyatIIMdidI
findamorecosmopolitanmixofpeoplewhereIcouldfreelydiscussthesethings.Icameouttomyfriend,thisgirlwhousedtositwithme
inclass,"Apekshitsays.
By2012Apekshithadfoundapartnerandstartedlivinginwithhim.Hispartner'smotheracceptstheirrelationshipand,likesomanyother
Indianfamilies,alsoliveswiththem.
In2013Apekshitcameouttohisparents."Myfatherisstillnotacceptingitbutmymotherisokaywithit,"hesays.Financialstabilitythat
hiseducationandhisjobwithGodrejbringinofcoursehelpsinthisdebate,headds."ManyofmyIIMclassmateshavealsolandedjobs
inMumbaiandweoftengettogetherasagang."
Theworkplacewasthelastbarrierofsorts.ApekshitdidnotparticipateintheBombayPrideparadeforlesbians,gays,bisexualsand
transsexualsashewasnotsureofrepercussionsattheworkplace.However,NisabaGodrej'semailchangedallthat.Apekshitreached
outtotheHRdepartmentandsoughtoutdetailsofthepoliciesandaskedifhecouldhelp.
BreakingtheIce
FortheBengaluruPrideparade2015,evenGCPLchiefVivekGambhirsentoutamailerencouragingcolleaguestosupportand
participate."Icouldnotgobecauseofotherwork,butitfeelsgoodthatthetopmanagementissendingthesesignals,"Apekshitsays.As
aresultofthisopenness,Apekshit,Udayanandotherslikethemarenowabletobringintheirpartnersforfamilyeventsattheoffice.Both
theircolleaguesandpartnersarecomfortableinteractinginasocialsetting.

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politicsandnation/howthegodrejgroupiscreatinganinclusiveculturetoacceptitslgbtcolleagues/articles

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27/12/2015

HowtheGodrejgroupiscreatinganinclusiveculturetoacceptitsLGBTcolleaguesTheEconomicTimes

FarahNathaniMenziessaysthegrouphasalreadychangedcertainotherpolicies.Theword'spouse'hasbeenreplacedwith'partner'in
mostdocuments.Ifanemployeeinasamesexrelationshipweretoadoptakid,hewouldbeeligibleforathreemonthsprimarycare
leave.
Whilebenefitsextendedbythecompanylikethehospital,havebeenextendedtopartnerstoo,thereareotherbenefitslikemedical
insurancethatneedamoreinnovativeapproach."ForsomeonelikeApekshitwearecreatingapolicywherehecanbuyahealth
insurancepolicyforhispartnerandthecompanywouldreimburseit,"shesays.
AsapartoftheGodrejIndiaCultureLab,occasionallyaneventisorganisedaroundtheLGBTtheme.Theauditoriumbeinglocatedinside
theGodrejOnebuilding,theaudienceoftenhasalargeshareofGodrejemployees.Itaddstothesensitisation.Farahspokeaboutan
eventinOctoberwhereRadhikaPiramal,managingdirector,VIPIndustries,recountedherownexperienceofcomingoutandPadmaIyer
spokeaboutamother'sjourneyinacceptingthesexualorientationofherson.Iyerhadputoutanadinpapers,seekingasuitableboyfor
hersonHarishIyer(Harishisanactivistagainstchildsexualabuse).
AndtherewasJoeZachariah,whohadspokenabouthowasurveydoneathisformermultinationalinvestmentbankingemployerinIndia
(JoenowworksforMcKinseyinSingapore).Thesurveythrewupasurprisingresult.Morethan60%oftherespondentshadsaidthey
werebisexual,thinkingthetermmeantheterosexual.
ClearlytherearemilestogoinsensitisationofcorporateIndiatotheneedsoftheirgayandlesbiancolleagues.Farahandhercolleagues
inGodrejhavehoweverloggedsomedistance.
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