Being Yourself@WorkBecome a member of Philips Pride, the network for LGBT* employees* Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transgenders

Research carried out by the Dutch Institute

for Social Research (SCP) shows that as

many as 28% of homosexual men and

14% of lesbian women in the Netherlands

have encountered a negative reaction from

people at work. This can be anything from

silly jokes and gossip to bullying, threats

and sometimes even physical violence.

It is no wonder people sometimes find

it difficult to be open about their sexual

orientation. It takes quite a lot to show

others who you really are.

Philips believes that everyone should be

able to be themselves at work. That is why

Imagine the scene: it’s Monday morning and everyone in

the open-plan office is chatting happily about their weekend.

For most of us that would be nothing to worry about, but there

is one colleague in the office who doesn’t say very much and

gives evasive answers when asked about his weekend, before

making a quick exit to go and sit at his computer. He and his

boyfriend went out for dinner to celebrate their first anniversary.

Why doesn’t he mention this? Surely, there can be no reason

not to be open about things like that at work?

A culture at work where everyone is visible and valued

“I know I am not the only lesbian woman at Philips, but sometimes it can feel as if I am.

I have colleagues who don’t dare tell anyone they are homosexual and go to great lengths

to hide it. Little comments and jokes, which are perhaps not meant unkindly, mean they

prefer to hide their sexuality for fear of being excluded. And yet people are more likely to

accept you if you dare to be yourself. It is very tiring to always have to hide something and

to have to think twice before you speak. At Pride we can help one another to be more

self-assured. And in the end that doesn’t just help each individual, it also helps Philips

too because an employee who feels comfortable in their own skin will perform better.”

Chantal van de Rijt, Pride member

in 2008 Philips Pride was set up as a

meeting place for lesbians, gays, bisexuals

and transgenders (LGBT) in our company.

It is somewhere where employees can

share experiences, support one another

and expand their network. In this way

we aim to promote a culture in which

everyone is visible and appreciated.

If people don’t need to hide their sexual

orientation they will have more energy

to devote to their work. And, in the end,

that will benefit both the individual

employee and Philips. Diverse companies

are known to perform better!

Philips HR Benelux Diversity & Inclusion • 3

First of all, we believe in an open-minded

working environment where everyone is

free to express their individuality. Secondly,

employees simply perform better if they are

allowed to be themselves. To do that, they

need an open culture at work in which

diversity is valued. A good, committed

employer makes sure that all employees

come to work feeling happy and self-assured,

so that they can put all their energy into their

work instead of having to worry about hiding

their sexuality. It is only by giving everyone

an opportunity to express their ideas and

opinions that we create an inspiring working

environment in which employees are able to

blossom to the full.

Employees who have come out work betterThis has also been shown by various surveys.

One survey carried out by the Dutch labor

union federation, FNV, and the international

Company Pride Platform showed that

30% of LGBT employees in the Netherlands

are afraid to be open about their sexual

orientation. That represents a missed

opportunity, because LGBT employees

who are not afraid to be open about their

Why Philips is investing in pride

sexuality are 20 to 30% more productive

than employees who haven’t come out.

They also feel more involved in the company

and, on average, they score higher in

employee engagement surveys.

Promoting diversity is important for PhilipsIt is very important for Philips to openly

support diversity. This makes our employees

feel more engaged, boosts performance and

makes our company attractive to future talent.

In addition, it can also make us aware of new

products that are ‘hot’ in the LGBT community

and it can help with the marketing of these

products (‘pink marketing’).

Cultural change takes time, but our objectives

are crystal clear. We aim to:

• make people at all levels of our

organization aware that greater diversity

will make us a more caring, happy and

successful company

• persuade more managers to actively

promote and support initiatives relating

to Diversity & Inclusion

• help Philips Pride to grow by encouraging

more gay and lesbian employees to join.

“Without doubt, it is nice that we don’t have to f ight for our rights in the Netherlands,

and that people can just be themselves at Philips. That does not mean, however, that there

is nothing going on under the surface. A lot of employees still have diff iculty being open

about their sexual orientation. I think Pride is a step in the right direction. It helps us to

get to know one another, to share experiences and to build up a professional network.

Internationally, though, there is still a lot of work to be done. I might like to go and work

for Philips abroad, but can I do that? Will I be accepted there and feel safe?

We need a robust internal policy to support employees on this.”

Martijn van Grootel, Pride member

On 19 January 2012, Philips and nine

other organizations signed a declaration

to improve the working environment

for LGBT employees. This ‘Declaration of

Amsterdam’ includes ten specific action

points which the organizations can start

working on right away, one of which is the

promotion of ‘pink’ networks. The driving

force behind this initiative is Workplace

Working together with Workplace Pride

Pride, an international organization that

works to ensure LGBT employees are

visible, accepted and valued in the

workplace. Philips has been working

together with Workplace Pride for

many years. By signing the Declaration

of Amsterdam, we have made our

LGBT commitments official.

• Pride4

Perhaps you are one of those people who

always tries to change the subject when

discussions at the coffee machine take a

personal turn. Or do you get nervous every

time there’s a new colleague because you

know that sooner or later you’ll have to

be upfront about your sexuality again?

Or maybe you don’t have any trouble at all

letting people see the real you? It doesn’t

really matter either way. Whether you are

openly LGBT or not, we can all help each

other to be strong and self-assured in the

workplace. That’s why we also invite our

You too can join Philips Pride!straight allies to join. Because if we want

to build on a more open-minded working

environment, everybody needs to pitch in.

Need more convincing? Below are four

compelling reasons for you to join Pride!

Be a catalyst of changeAn active and involved LGBT community

within Philips shows that LGBT employees

can be accepted in a professional

environment. By joining Pride, you will

be helping to change people’s views and

to influence policies around the world.

“A strong network can contribute such a lot

to cultural change. My dream is for people

all around the world to believe in the

necessity of a diverse and inclusive company

and say: ‘This is good! This is important, so

let’s make it happen! ’ I want Philips Pride

to be so powerful that nobody can ignore

it. It is only by us all pulling together that

we will be able to create a culture at work

in which everyone is free to be themselves

and to inspire each other.”

Susanne van Vegten Executive Sponsor Pride, member D&I Benelux-Council

Give visibility to LGBT workplace issuesAll around the world there are Philips

employees who feel they have to conceal

their true identity. Philips Pride helps to

build a network where LGBT issues in the

workplace are openly discussed. By joining,

you will be showing your support for the

Philips LGBT community worldwide.

As a visible and open network showing

that we are proud of who we are, we

can lead the way for others and remind

everybody to keep an open mind.

Networking opportunitiesThrough our ties with the LGBT networks

in other companies we are able to offer you

fantastic global networking opportunities.

You can attend regular networking drinks

with co-workers whom you would

otherwise never meet. Our network is

a great way to connect with colleagues

and boost your knowledge of the Philips

organization.

It’s fun!By joining Pride, you can be part of a

growing, fun network of people! Engage

in inspiring discussions and make new

friends. Enjoy the excitement of celebrating

Gay Pride with half a million other people

in Amsterdam. Don’t delay – join today!

Philips HR Benelux Diversity & Inclusion • • Pride 76

More information about Pride, activities and membership:Yvonne van den BergDirector Social Innovation & DiversityPO Box 80003Eindhoven, The NetherlandsMobile: +31 6 22973487E-mail: Yvonne.vanden.Berg@Philips.comOr join us on Connect Us: Pride - Gay & Lesbian Network

Published by: Philips Human Resources BeneluxDesigned by: Rekers & Van Noppen, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

© 2012 Royal Philips Electronics N.V.All rights reserved.