Companies established in Costa Rica register progress in the inclusion of LGBTIQ + people in their organizations, through various policies. One of them is the commitment made through the Declaration of San José, promoted by the Business Alliance for Development, which began with 20 companies in 2016 and has currently been signed by 56 of them.
The Declaration of San José includes principles against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and in favor of the human rights of LGBTIQ+ people in work spaces.
Avoiding discrimination
Other affirmative actions have been the inclusion of internal protocols to avoid discriminatory behavior, sanctions, voluntary work with LGBTIQ + organizations, inclusive recruitment and health insurance for hormonal processes in the cases of people who undergo a sex change.
3M, one of the companies that signed the Declaration of San José, incorporated the Self ID, a mechanism for employees to identify themselves as they wish and that includes gender pronouns in their corporate email signatures.
Raising the flag of diversity
Raising the flag of diversity in LGBTIQ+ Pride Month, training, hiring processes and the use of inclusive language are other affirmative actions of the company. In addition, within the framework of the International Day for LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Science, the Empowering Pride event will be held on July 5.
Another company committed to these policies is Intel Costa Rica, which has a support structure for its collaborators led by the Employee Experience Office and that operates through various internal groups of people who promote diversity and inclusion in all areas.
Of these groups, the one that has existed for the longest time is the Intel Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, or Transgender Employees (IGLOBE), through which a safe, open and productive work community is promoted for all employees, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression.
IGLOBE continuously implements educational resources and encourages safe spaces where people can learn more, and there are also inclusive leadership and manager development programs, as well as ‘coaching’ programs available to all employees.
Another example that stands out is Tigo, which recently incorporated adoption licenses that are equated with maternity licenses, which regardless of the gender of the parents grant certain benefits beyond those granted by law.
In this way, the LGBTIQ+ couples who adopt will be able to enjoy more free hours to enjoy their children, with a shorter working day that will gradually increase until they fully join their work.
