Jude Copeland

The free event next Wednesday 26 July, 10am–11.30am, will be chaired by Jude Copeland of Cleaver Fulton Rankin, who works with a wide range of charities and grassroots organisations including Queerspace, Rainbow Refugees, Portrush for Mark Ashton, PIPS Suicide Prevention and the LGBTQIA Heritage Project.

The panel discussion will coincide with the 10-day Pride Festival, one of the biggest annual events in Belfast, culminating with the Pride Parade on 29 July.

The LRA recently developed a guide and podcast to help employers and their employees talk about sensitive subjects, which were once taboo in the workplace.

Encouraging Respectful Conversations at Work was developed to guide organisations wanting to build and maintain a positive, safe and inclusive workplace culture. One of its key messages is noticing personal bias and its impact on understanding and perception.

Don Leeson, chief executive of the LRA, said: “We welcome the opportunity to bring together, as part of Pride week, representatives from different backgrounds to share perspectives on ways to encourage respectful conversations.

“With employers increasingly seeing the value in encouraging employees to bring their true selves to work and creating genuinely inclusive workplaces, this can create awkwardness regarding potentially sensitive topics.

“We hope that the Agency’s guidance on this matter, and the insights from our panel, will give employers greater confidence in overcoming such issues.”

Panellists taking part in the session will include Morna Blaney LRA; Geraldine Alexander, NIPSA deputy general secretary; Dr Kirsten Kearney, Inclusive Faith; Karen McShane, employer and president of CIHT; Paul Gillen, Lewis Silkin LLP; Orla McKeating, Diversity Mark; and Paul Bloomer, Belfast Pride trustee.

Mr Copeland said: “Workplaces are where many of us spend a large portion of our lives. We interact with people who are like us and people who are different from us.

“The Labour Relations Agency podcast Encouraging Respectful Conversations and the conversation we will be having during Pride will hopefully empower individuals to learn more about each other, in a respectful and meaningful way. Respectful conversations create a workplace where people not only stay, but where they thrive.”