博亚国际娱乐城

At home or at work 鈥� no matter the location, you want to feel like you belong, that you are important and valued. At 博亚国际娱乐城, these are what employee inclusion groups (EIGs) are all about. They advocate on your behalf, connect you with others who are like you, and celebrate the unique talents and qualities you bring to the table. That鈥檚 the purpose of 博亚国际娱乐城鈥檚 Pride Collective: to make sure members of the LGBTQ+ community feel valued and included.

How being part of an inclusion group can inspire you

As president of 博亚国际娱乐城鈥檚 Pride Collective, Sarah Trescott鈥檚 number one goal is 鈥渂uilding a community that is welcoming and safe for all of the LGBTQ+ members of the 博亚国际娱乐城 family.鈥� She knows from experience that being open about your identity can sometimes be scary 鈥� mainly because you don鈥檛 know how people are going to react. Will you be treated differently?

Last year when Sarah was first asked to serve as president of 博亚国际娱乐城鈥檚 Pride Collective, she wasn鈥檛 exactly sure what an inclusion group even was. But now she has fully embraced the responsibility of being the voice of the community 鈥� both to the company's leadership and for LGBTQ+ employees and allies.

With a focus on building a welcoming and safe environment, Sarah spearheads initiatives, directs monthly meetings, plans events, and reminds people who participate in in June to have fun and drink plenty of water.

A long-term commitment to supporting the LGBTQ+ community

Before taking on her role, Sarah says she participated in some pretty intense discussions with 博亚国际娱乐城 leadership teams. 鈥淚 wanted to make sure that 博亚国际娱乐城 was going to be a safe place but also that they weren't going to change their mind after a whole bunch of people outed themselves to be part of a group,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t had to be a long-term commitment.鈥�

Looking back, she believes her side hustle as a sports referee was the perfect preparation for her new role. 鈥淚鈥檓 used to people being mad at me,鈥� she says with a laugh. 鈥淎nd I can take a little bit of heat. I don鈥檛 mind being out there, raising my voice for the people who really do have to deal with circumstances that prevent them from being out yet at work. I want to make sure my own work community is a safe place for us to do that.鈥� 

Heat or no heat, Sarah says the fact that the Pride Collection exists is evidence that good things are happening at 博亚国际娱乐城.

Employee inclusion groups vs. employee network groups

The Pride Collective is part of 博亚国际娱乐城's broader initiative to create EIGs whenever and wherever they are needed. Currently, 博亚国际娱乐城 also supports EIGs for African American employees, Hispanic and Latinx employees, and . These groups are different from traditional employee network groups, where the goal or motivation behind the group may be to simply create social opportunities for people who share common interests, such as travel, do-it-yourself projects, , or reading (book club anyone?).

An EIG, by contrast, is for members of minority groups or communities that have traditionally been made to feel marginalized and ignored, and maybe even unwelcome. Operating as an inclusion group rather than a network group is important because it means more attention and support from corporate leadership.

In Sarah鈥檚 view, this has especially been the case at 博亚国际娱乐城. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e done a fantastic job with supporting the LGBTQ+ members of our corporate family,鈥� she says. 鈥淓verything from travel vouchers 鈥� to help you get to places where you can get the care you need 鈥� to legal assistance and mental health support. All of that really helps our community a bunch.鈥�

How employee inclusion groups level the playing field

A good example of these extra resources is the quarterly trainings and invited speakers the Pride Collection regularly hosts 鈥� events that Sarah says are just as often about navigating life as they are about work. 鈥淎 lot of folks who get kicked out of their house because their family doesn't support them, they have a lot of challenges going on,鈥� says Sarah. 鈥淕etting through college, just the basic career development that we all need to succeed in a professional environment.鈥�

Sarah says the Pride Collective 鈥渓evels the playing field鈥� by offering resources for overcoming these types of challenges 鈥� something that might not be possible if the group was simply a network of like-minded people.

The Pride Collective鈥檚 definition of success

There are many ways the Pride Collective measures its success. For Sarah, the monthly meetings have undoubtedly been a highlight. 鈥淚鈥檓 really proud of the openness and vulnerability that people have shown,鈥� she says, 鈥渁nd their willingness to be out and tell their stories."

In addition to the meetings, the Pride Collective routinely organizes service projects for group members and leads out for 博亚国际娱乐城 at the annual Pride Parade in Salt Lake City. By participating in conferences, workshops, and community events, members of the Pride Collective aim to drive positive change not only within 博亚国际娱乐城 but also in their local communities.

Sometimes, the most important thing is just being there

Still, the way Sarah sees it, the Pride Collective isn鈥檛 so much about big, organized events as much as it is about maintaining a presence so that people know they鈥檙e not alone in the workplace, that they have a place they can go to for help if they need it.  

After a hate-motivated shooting, for example, members of the collective gathered on a phone call to talk about how they were feeling and share their concerns. 鈥淭ruthfully, if you consider the social climate that so often surrounds us, just creating a safe place free from judgment, harassment, and the fear of losing your job is massive,鈥� Sarah says.

鈥淚f we can continue to do that, I will feel like this group has been successful.鈥�

Want to work at a company that is committed to supporting and advancing minority employees? Apply today!