Exxon's Multicolored Deception Strategy
ExxonMobil, one of the world's largest oil and gas companies, has a complex history when it comes to supporting its LGBTQIA+ employees. While the company has made some progress in recent years, it has also faced criticism for inconsistencies and insufficient support.
In 2015, ExxonMobil added gender identity and sexual orientation to its non-discrimination policies, marking a significant step forward. However, the company has yet to adopt a mechanism for employees to self-identify as LGBTQIA+ in company records, which has raised concerns among employees about the lack of representation and potential exclusion.
One former employee, Trisha Beissel, spent 33 years working in Exxon's IT department before retiring in 2021. She spent decades advocating for visibility, benefits for her two daughters, and workplace protections as a lesbian at ExxonMobil. In 2015, she and over 125 fellow ExxonMobil employees participated in Houston's LGBT+ Pride Celebration, marking the first time ExxonMobil employees represented the company in such an event.
However, the company's progress has not been without controversy. In 2022, ExxonMobil implemented a new policy that banned the rainbow Pride flag and other "external position flags" from company flagpoles, citing the need to maintain "neutrality." This decision was met with criticism from employees and the Houston chapter of Exxon's PRIDE employee resource group, which refused to represent the company at the Houston LGBT+ Pride Celebration on June 25 due to the new flag policy.
The lack of self-ID in Exxon's ranking process, which directly determines pay raises and promotions, has also been a source of concern for employees who recently left the company. Former employee Fernando Carrio called the ranking process "subjective" and "demoralizing." Carrio did not receive a promotion or pay increase during his time at Exxon and recalled being treated as a "rowdy problem child" when expressing concerns to his managers.
ExxonMobil's reputation for being regressive on LGBTQIA+ equality in the workplace has been further tarnished by its political donations. The company has donated more than half a million dollars to politicians who promote legislation attacking the queer and trans community. Olivia Hunt, policy director at the National Center for Transgender Equality, warned against "rainbow-washing" by corporations that express support for the LGBTQIA+ community without backing it up with actions.
Despite the progress ExxonMobil has made, it still has a ways to go when it comes to fully supporting its LGBTQIA+ employees. Without a self-ID mechanism and a more transparent and fair ranking process, many employees may continue to feel excluded and demoralized.
References
[1] Local government LGBTQIA+ initiatives
[2] General diversity employee resource groups
[3] Unrelated lawsuits against ExxonMobil on environmental grounds
[4] ExxonMobil's history of inconsistency in supporting LGBTQIA+ employees
[5] Recent controversy specifically related to ExxonMobil's support for LGBTQIA+ employees
- ExxonMobil's non-discrimination policies, extended to include gender identity and sexual orientation in 2015, marked a significant step forward, but the absence of an employee self-identification mechanism for LGBTQIA+ individuals continues to raise concerns.
- Trisha Beissel, a former ExxonMobil employee who spent 33 years in the IT department, advocated for visibility, benefits, and workplace protections as a lesbian within the company, and in 2015, she and over 125 fellow employees participated in Houston's LGBT+ Pride Celebration.
- ExxonMobil's progress, however, has been met with controversy, such as the 2022 ban on the rainbow Pride flag and other "external position flags" from company flagpoles, leading to criticism and the refusal of the Houston chapter of Exxon's PRIDE employee resource group to represent the company.
- The company's ranking process, which determines pay raises and promotions, has been criticized as subjective and demoralizing by former employees, with some feeling excluded and treated unfairly for expressing concerns.
- The political donations made by ExxonMobil to politicians who promote legislation that attacks the queer and trans community have further tarnished its reputation for supporting LGBTQIA+ employees.
- The National Center for Transgender Equality has warned against "rainbow-washing" by corporations that express support for the LGBTQIA+ community but do not back it up with substantial action.
- Without a self-ID mechanism and a more transparent and fair ranking process, ExxonMobil still has ways to go to fully support its LGBTQIA+ employees, preventing many from feeling excluded and demoralized.
- Relevant sources to consider include local government LGBTQIA+ initiatives, general diversity employee resource groups, unrelated lawsuits against ExxonMobil on environmental grounds, ExxonMobil's history of inconsistency in supporting LGBTQIA+ employees, and recent controversy specifically related to ExxonMobil's support for LGBTQIA+ employees.
