Building LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the workplace

When Medibank was recognised as a Gold Tier employer at the 2025 Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) awards, it meant more than organisational success. For many people at Medibank, it was personal.

“It was a lot of work to get to this point,” says Sharni Wearne, Medibank’s Diversity and Inclusion Manager. “A lot of credit goes to the Rainbow Collective, our LGBTQIA+ employee network”. Here, she’s teamed up with Juan Campos, co-lead of the Rainbow Collective, to share the practical steps and actions that are helping to build a workplace where LGBTQIA+ people feel safe, valued and able to bring their full selves to work.

Why IS LGBTQIA+ inclusion important in the workplace?

Campos, who’s Brazilian-born and has lived in five countries, describes Medibank as “by far the most inclusive place I’ve ever worked”. “The difference shows up in confidence and creativity”, he says. “I feel safe and confident, like I am an equal player.”  

That sense of belonging has benefits outside the workplace too. “I have space to take care of my wellbeing,” says Campos. “I feel supported to be productive at work and to take care of myself as a person.”

Wearne says the impact reaches across the whole organisation. “We see it in our engagement surveys. Our LGBTQIA+ employees report feeling increased wellbeing, more engaged and as proud of our diversity efforts as anyone else in the organisation.”

How to make the workplace more LGBTQIA+ inclusive

With the impact so clear, Wearne and Campos share their insights on what’s helped strengthen LGBTQIA+ inclusion across Medibank.

Start by listening to people with lived experience

Wearne says the most important step is listening to employees who identify as LGBTQIA+, not as a tick the box exercise, but as partners. “You’ve got to listen to people in your organisation who have lived experience,” she says. “Their insight shows you what needs fixing, what needs elevating and what’s missing.”

Build a strong employee network and empower it

Medibank’s Rainbow Collective is an employee led, multi-enerational and Australia wide network of LGBTQIA+ people, allies and parents of queer people. It plays a central role in culture, connection and education at Medibank.

For Campos, the network helped shape his Medibank experience from day one. “My hiring manager told me about the Rainbow Collective during onboarding. I instantly felt like I had a place and community, even before I met anyone.” He’s also seen its impact on others. “There are members who told me they’d never been out at work before joining Medibank. The Rainbow Collective was one of the reasons they felt safe”.

The Rainbow Collective helps create meaningful change by:

• Hosting events for International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT), Wear it Purple Day, Pride Month and Trans Awareness week.
• Running ‘listen and learn’ sessions and storytelling events
• Visiting team meetings through the Rainbow Collective Roadshow to spark everyday inclusion conversations
• Creating a safe, supportive social community for employees of all backgrounds.

Make inclusion part of the everyday

At Medibank, inclusion is part of the foundation of becoming the healthiest workplace in Australia. And Wearne says it’s something we all help create every day. “We’ve launched a learning campaign called Everyday Respect, which is about those small moments where you can be inclusive,” she explains. “It might be how you address unconscious bias in meetings or how you think about inclusion in career progression conversations.”

Policy also plays its part. Medibank’s decision to introduce Gender Affirmation Leave is one example of how it’s making sure support for trans and gender diverse employees is built into the systems and structures employees rely on. Another example is the removal of gendered language from the parental leave policy. “Whether you’re the primary or secondary carer, whatever your gender, you’re entitled to the same leave,” Wearne says. “It was a simple but powerful signal that everyone deserves the same experience.”

It’s this combination of everyday actions and inclusive practices that help build an inclusive workplace. Others include:

• Gender-inclusive facilities
• Respectful and correct pronoun use
• Clear and visible support during gender affirmation
• Access to awareness events like Trans Awareness Week.

 “These actions show people they don’t have to hide who they are,” Wearne says. Campos agrees, “Inclusive policies make the culture real. They tell us we belong here”.

Measure your impact and act on what you learn

Finally, Wearne highlights the importance of tracking your progress. “You’re not going to change anything you’re not measuring,” she says.

Medibank does this through:

• Employee engagement surveys to understand belonging and safety
• Benchmarking tools like the AWEI to identify gaps and best practice
• Lived experience insights to prioritise the changes that matter most.

These measures guide decisions, shape policy and keep Medibank focused on what will have the greatest impact for LGBTQIA+ employees.

Beyond the award

Both Campos and Wearne see inclusion as a responsibility shared across the whole organisation. “We should all be able to be our full selves with no shame or prejudice,” says Campos. “Regardless of our backgrounds, we should advocate for inclusion, not just for LGBTQIA+ people, but for First Nations peoples, women, people with disabilities and culturally diverse communities. Every facet of human experience deserves that space.”

For Wearne, Gold Tier recognition is not the end goal. “It’s a recognition of progress,” she says. “But inclusion isn’t something you ever tick off. It’s a practice, a way of working, listening and showing up for each other every day.”