ADP Philippines’ Pride Business Resource Group plays key role in fostering harmonious, gender diverse workplace
Each person counts. This is one of the core values of ADP, one of the world’s largest providers of business outsourcing and Human Capital Management solutions that include a wide range of human resource, payroll, talent management, and tax and benefits administration services.
This core value recognizes that it is important for all of its ‘associates’, ADP’s preferred term for its employees, to be respected as individuals and that their diversity be embraced. In promoting this value, ADP encourages voluntary support groups and activities across the organization for employees with different advocacies and interests to inspire a strong connection with one another. These are called Business Resource Groups (BRGs).
One example of these business resource groups is the ADP Pride BRG, which aims to ensure an inclusive environment for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employees in the company. Associates in the Philippines created in the early part of 2015 a local chapter for this resource group.
ADP Philippines head of engagement Joanne Topacio said the local ADP Pride BRG aims to foster an inclusive workplace that will harness the full potential of employees belonging to the LGBT spectrum.
“The ADP Pride BRG aims to enhance our competitive advantage by ensuring an environment that leverages contributions from its LGBT associates while promoting a welcoming, affirming and inclusive culture throughout the company,” Topacio said.
Josie Eugenio, one of ADP Philippines’ brand ambassadors and now the Philippine ADP Pride BRG’s president, said he is happy that he, together with other LGBT employees, can work together to further promote their welfare in the workplace.
“Forming the Pride BRG ensures us members of the LGBT group that diversity is important at ADP,” he said, “And we can be who we are at ADP.”
ADP Pride BRG vice president Nikki Minerales shared that the group is still learning from the other chapters in various ADP locations on how to be truly relevant to their fellow LGBTs.
“Our group is still a work in progress, as we strive to make other associates in the company understand the entire LGBT spectrum more,” he said.
For ADP associate Nick Fernandez, a transman or a transgender person who was assigned female at birth but identifies as male, ADP is the first company where his gender preference is respected. It is a place where he does not feel any apprehension, judgment or anxiety when it comes to his gender identity.
“Here at ADP, I am allowed to use my gender neutral name, which makes me feel more comfortable and, as such, able to perform my work better. I also appreciate that my gender preference is taken into account in the company’s annual physical exam, something that I used to dread in my previous jobs where I would automatically be classified as female.”
True to its commitment to gender equality, ADP provides transgender-inclusive health plans and regular HIV screenings, among other things, which are not usually found in a company-provided health maintenance organization (HMO). LGBT employees are also allowed to name their live-in partners as the beneficiaries of their medical cards, and bring them at ADP’s Family Day celebrations. Their partner choice is respected and void of any discrepancy.
The LGBT inclusive culture is very evident in each ADP location not just in the Philippines, with the Pride BRG not even limiting its members to just those associates who are LGBT. “Straight” members are also welcome and are called “Straight Allies” with the intention of also helping as many associates as possible to understand LGBT issues and support needs.
In fact, Pride BRGs in different ADP locations join the worldwide observance of the Pride Month every June by organizing educational sessions on gender inclusion and equality, and other health-oriented issues commonly affecting LGBT members.
It is no wonder that ADP has once again been recognized as a top-rated employer by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the largest LGBT civil rights organization based in the U.S. For the seventh consecutive year, ADP received a 100 percent rating in the HRC’s 2016 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), which evaluates LGBT-related policies and practices.
The Pride business resource group will certainly go a long way in meeting ADP employees’ need to feel respected and accepted by others in a caring, open environment.
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About ADP (Philippines), Inc.
ADP (Philippines), Inc. is a subsidiary of ADP, LLC and is a strategic hub for the global business, dedicated to deliver Employer Service solutions. It has been in the Philippines since 2010 providing and supporting Human Capital Management services such as payroll, tax services, technical product support, time & labor management as well as benefits administration.
About ADP
Employers around the world rely on ADP® (NASDAQ: ADP) for cloud-based solutions and services to help manage their most important asset – their people. From human resources and payroll to talent management to benefits administration, ADP brings unmatched depth and expertise in helping clients build a better workforce. A pioneer in Human Capital Management (HCM) and business process outsourcing, ADP serves more than 610,000 clients in 100 countries. ADP.com.
