Personnel managers often like to swap stories of unexpected or "tricky" employment, management or staff issues with which they have had to deal. Before Christmas, one experienced HR manager told me about being taken aback when a male driver returned from extended leave - as a female driver.
He had to address the issue quickly and ensure the driver would not experience any adverse reception from fellow staff, though it would be impossible to suppress all the sniggers and heterosexual machismo remarks among the large workforce.
He also had to do some quick learning about gender identity realignment processes and approached the driver with assurances that the company would assist her in any way she felt was necessary.
His comments came to mind earlier this week at the publication by the health services of a research paper into the treatment of homosexual and bisexual people, or what are sometimes referred to collectively as "LGBs" (lesbian, gay or bisexual).
The study of the interaction and experiences of 43 LGBs with the health service in the former North Western Health Board is interesting and highlights some of the wider workplace issues for LGB employees.
At the launch of Recognising LGB Sexual Identities in Health Services, the HSE's director of population health, Dr Patrick Doorley, said the service employed more than 100,000 people and would like to think it is a bit more enlightened about people's sexual orientation rights than the general public.
But the study shows that many GPs and other health workers fall short when it comes to interacting with LGB patients. It examines the different experiences of LGBs in letting others know their sexual orientation in a health setting, but reflects wider experiences in dealing with sexual orientation in family, acquaintance, social and work circles.
Some two-thirds of GPs responded to LGB patients in a positive and respectful manner, without trying to associate medical problems routinely with their sexual activities and often providing tailored information to enhance the health of LGB patients. On the other hand, some GPs showed signs of discomfort, avoided eye contact, rushing consultations after a patient mentioned their orientation, or subsequent over-focus on sexual issues and an automatic association of LGB status with HIV-status or sexually transmitted infections.
These are the reported reactions of experienced medics who have spent years in hospitals seeing all life-styles up close. They have a detailed, professional knowledge of sexuality yet can fall into a distancing or cautious approach that may be seen as "homophobic".
To a large extent, this is because heterosexual orientation is taken to be "the norm". Gay lobbyists distinguish between what is termed "heterosexism", as this focuses on "what is normal", from the more assertive "homophobia", which can range from a fear to a hatred of gay people.
The study's chapter on the experience of LGBs when engaging with mental health services is interesting and highlights the problem of doctors jumping to link LGB "disorder" with their health problems.
Ensuring compliance with the 1998 and 2007 Employment Equality Acts, which prohibit discrimination in the workplace or in training for LGBs on sexual orientation grounds, is an area about which managers have to seriously think instead of just hope it will not become a problem.
If discriminatory practices remain routine, there is every likelihood that LGB support groups will begin taking "test cases" and ensuring complaints are pro-cessed through either legal channels of the Equality Tribunal.
Allowing your organisation to be tarnished with an image of intolerance arising from an adverse Employment Tribunal can be reputational suicide as some financial, State and service organisations have found to their cost in the areas of gender discrimination, often against female employees.
Another issue for LGBs is management and administrative respect and consideration. The joint Equality Authority/HSE health services study reports one patient who had an agreeable visit with her GP being shocked on her subsequent consultation to see the word "lesbian" written in large capitals on the cover of her file and medical reports.
Diversity means that not everyone goes to university, builds skills, seeks promotion, buys a house, gets married, has children and retires on a decent pension. If that is roughly how the tea leaves fall for you, it takes an effort to see situations from the perspective of those with less predictable lives.
Gerald Flynn is an employment specialist with Align Management Solutions in Dublin. gflynn@alignmanagement.net
