“[We] want to make sure that it’s a place where everybody feels fully able to be themselves,” says Melanie Windover, co-chair of the Allied Rainbow Community (ARC) employee resource group (ERG) at Novo Nordisk Canada.Lucy Lu
If you were to run into Melanie Windover around the office, there’s a good chance you’ll spot a rainbow pin affixed somewhere on her outfit.
“I try to wear it to show that this is important to me, to wear my heart on my sleeve,” says Ms. Windover, associate director of strategic operations at Novo Nordisk Canada.
It’s a small gesture, she acknowledges, but it’s her way of signaling that she is a “safe harbour” for anyone who might need reassurance that they’re welcome in this working environment, whatever their sexual orientation or gender identity.
“Someone once taught me that visible signs of allyship mean a lot,” says Ms. Windover, who says she is cautious of never appearing performative or perfunctory in her allyship with a community that means a great deal to her. “People who need to see it, they notice it, and they get something from it.”
Expressions of Pride
As you walk around global pharmaceutical company’s Canadian offices, you’ll notice more gestures towards inclusion, awareness and allyship. During Pride Season (which the company celebrates from June to September to include the wide range of celebrations in the 2SLGBTQI+ community during that time period), you’ll be greeted by a screen at reception marking the occasion.
An employee lanyard is available in the colours of the Pride Progress flag and pronouns are included on email signatures. Throughout the summer, the company shares Pride-inspired playlists and hosts a series of events such as Pride-themed trivia.
“We really, really care and want to make sure that it’s a place where everybody feels fully able to be themselves,” says Ms. Windover, who is co-chair of Allied Rainbow Community (ARC), an employee resource group promoting inclusion and awareness around the 2SLGBTQI+ community in the workplace.
An ERG that empowers
“Allyship is not just a noun, it’s a verb,” says Rami Halabi, a medical science liaison at Novo Nordisk Canada and co-chair with Ms. Windover of the ARC ERG.
To encourage that active attitude, ARC developed an online course, hosted on the company’s Intranet, that educates on what allyship means and how to practice it on an everyday basis.
“See something in the workplace that shouldn’t be happening? Address it. Don’t be a bystander. Take what you’ve learned and share it with someone else. That’s an ally,” Mr. Halabi says. “It’s really about those tangible things that each one of us can be doing to uphold equality for all.”
Rami Halabi, co-chair of the ARC ERG at Novo Nordisk Canada, says being an ally to the 2SLGBTQI+ community is about action. “See something in the workplace that shouldn’t be happening? Address it.”Geoff Robins
Many inclusion efforts at Novo Nordisk have come out of this ERG, including changes to the dress code to accommodate all gender expressions and parental leave regardless of whether or not an employee is a birthing parent.
“[ARC] is about empowering those who are attending,” says Mr. Halabi. “If you have an idea, workshop it, run it by the ERG’s board of directors, and let’s see what resources we have. If we don’t have them, we’ll find out if we can get them.”
Executive support
Mr. Halabi says a key reason this ERG has flourished is because of the robust corporate support it has received, both on a company-wide level and through executive sponsor John Burrows.
“We run our ideas by him, and he’s given incredible feedback,” says Mr. Halabi. “He understands how we can approach things in a way that gets more people interested.”
Mr. Burrows, vice-president of the Rare Diseases division at Novo Nordisk Canada, has been executive sponsor of this ERG almost from its inception, joining as an ally before he was asked to take on this role.
“It was a real compliment [to be asked],” he says, adding that he has learned a tremendous amount about allyship through this involvement.
“Show support, listen, and learn. Don’t assume who’s in and out of the community. Just be respectful,” Mr. Burrows says. “I try to listen with open ears and an open heart.”
‘Respected, supported and valued’
At Novo Nordisk, allyship is also baked into organizational operations. There is, for example, a dedicated diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging manager whose role is to create supports for all employees, including those in the 2SLGBTQI+ community.
“It’s part of our mission to treat everybody with respect and have a healthy and engaging working environment,” says Samuel Forbes, bilingual human resources business partner at Novo Nordisk Canada.
This includes practical supports, he adds, such as including gender-affirmation coverage as part of the employee benefits program and providing financial support for adoption and surrogacy.
“Allyship is really important in the workplace, because it helps foster an inclusive environment where all employees can feel respected, supported and valued,” says Mr. Forbes, who identifies as a member of the 2SLGBTQI+ community himself.
Individuals can show their allyship by taking the initiative to educate themselves, he says. Listening and learning can go a long way to create “that safe space where members of the community can feel comfortable.”
Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio with Novo Nordisk. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.