How to Talk About Sex in the Workplace

When you think of sex education, the easiest trope to reach for is condoms on bananas. And even that might make you ask, is that appropriate for the workplace? But sexual health goes far beyond fruit and prophylaxis. Having a well-rounded, nuanced, and appropriate approach can improve the well-being of your team.

Celebrate National Sexual Health and Wellbeing Days

Celebrating health-related awareness days such as Mental Health Day in October has become more common. These are always incredibly useful calendar moments to bring attention to the different needs of your team. Sexual health and wellbeing-related days throughout the year, such as STI Awareness Day and World Contraception Day, can also be marked. "Sexual wellbeing should have the same priority as mental and physical wellbeing, and ensuring your celebrations around national days are inclusive to all genders, sexualities, and identities is also key," suggests Dee Whitnell.

Encourage Sexual Health Testing and Conversations

It can be difficult for people to get tested and keep on top of their sexual wellbeing with work and family commitments. But your business could provide resources for staff such as information on local sexual health clinics they can use or guides on different STIs and ways of having safer sex. "You could also bring in sex educators and sexual health providers to educate staff on their sexual wellbeing and provide free sexual health testing kits to remind staff that there is no shame in sexual wellbeing and getting tested," says Whitnell. Whitnell also advocates for policies that enable staff to take time away from their desk to visit a clinic or to pick up medication, whether that’s about finding adequate coverage or offering flexible hours.

Providing Menstruation Products in All Staff Bathrooms and Talking Openly About Periods

"Regardless of what bathroom, including menstrual products in all bathrooms creates a positive atmosphere around periods and shows solidarity to those who may need a menstrual product but are using the ‘men’s’ bathroom," Whitnell recommends. This can also allow staff to open up about menstruation issues they may have, meaning employers and leaders can provide better support to those who may experience chronic pain during their periods or may need to seek further help from their GP and local sexual health clinic.

Lend an Ear

It’s not just up to management, everyone at work can play a role in supporting people’s health and wellbeing. Whitnell sets out how a staff member receiving a diagnosis of any kind, whether an STI or another health condition, can take a mental toll on them. Sometimes simply listening to the colleague and signposting additional resources can make a huge difference. "It’s vital not to ask probing or inappropriate questions, allow the staff member to lead the conversation and divulge as much as they feel comfortable with," says Whitnell.

Share Resources Around Sexual Health

No matter where we work, we have a version of an intranet. Whether that’s a custom-built one, Slack, or just a Whatsapp group, maybe it’s a newsletter or a group chat? You could dedicate a section of this to discussing sexual health and wellbeing topics outside of national holidays – to remind staff that looking after their sexual health and wellbeing is a 24/7 thing. This could mean including links to recent sexual health studies or news articles or bringing in a sex educator to share resources on a specific topic that may be of discussion in the workplace. "The more we talk about sexual health, the more comfortable and confident people will be when/if an issue arises," Whitnell adds.

Conclusion

Implementing these strategies can help create a more inclusive and supportive work environment, where employees feel comfortable discussing their sexual health and wellbeing. By celebrating national days, encouraging testing and conversations, providing resources, and lending an ear, you can help your team thrive.

FAQs

• What are some ways to promote sexual health in the workplace?
  • Celebrate national sexual health and wellbeing days
  • Encourage sexual health testing and conversations
  • Provide resources for staff, such as information on local sexual health clinics
  • Lend an ear and provide support to staff members
• How can I create a more inclusive work environment?
  • Provide menstrual products in all staff bathrooms
  • Talk openly about periods and menstruation
  • Share resources around sexual health and wellbeing
• What is the importance of discussing sexual health in the workplace?
  • It can help create a more inclusive and supportive work environment
  • It can help reduce stigma around sexual health and wellbeing
  • It can provide resources and support to staff members

DEI is the term on everybody’s tongue. Anytime you turn on the television, DEI is being debated, discussed, and dissected, with some claims that DEI is dead or rather, on its way to a slow death. DEI is a field that was birthed out of the Civil Rights Movement, when many organizations and institutions were looking for guidance to comply with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and ensure they were avoiding discrimination and thus litigation. Today, DEI has become public enemy number one, being blamed for an absurd amount of catastrophes from the 2024 Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse in Baltimore to the recent plane crash at Washington D.C.’s Reagan National Airport.

Is DEI Really Dying?

If one were to only listen to and read narratives from the media, it is easy to be convinced about DEI’s imminent demise. But according to a 2024 study from Scientific Reports, “Americans across many different demographic categories vastly underestimate their fellow Americans’ support for diversity and inclusion.” The media plays a critical role in shaping the public’s perception and understanding of DEI and can contribute to misconceptions and misinformation about DEI. Because DEI has become such a contentious and controversial issue, media headlines that are scandalous and attention-grabbing garner more publicity. These hyperbolic stories are regurgitated and repeated, creating the illusion that DEI is disintegrating when in actuality, it is far more nuanced.

The Reality: 87% of Companies Are Maintaining or Increasing Their DEI Budgets

A 2025 study from Resume.org with the headline “1 in 8 companies Are Scaling Back DEI Commitments in 2025, Many Cite Political Climate” may lead readers to believe that DEI is on its way to the grave. When you unpack what the researchers determined, the data tells a different story. While the headlines focus on the small fraction of companies scaling back their DEI efforts, the real takeaway is that 87% of companies are either maintaining or increasing their DEI budgets. 65% of companies surveyed said they will keep their DEI budget the same and 22% plan to increase their budget, yet misleading headlines want to push the false narrative that DEI is dying.

Companies Are Not Deterred by the Backlash

The results from the aforementioned Resume.org study echo the results of a November 2024 LinkedIn poll, which revealed that 46% of respondents were planning to increase their DEI efforts and 33% were planning on keeping DEI efforts the same. The media has the power to propel the propaganda and are playing an active role in perpetuating misinformation. The responsibility then falls on those who believe in equity and justice to disprove the lies, dispel myths, and dispense accurate information about DEI. Beyond the salacious headlines, the data tells us that most companies are not deterred by the current DEI backlash.

Why Companies Are Not Abandoning DEI

There are several reasons why companies aren’t doing away with DEI. Despite DEI’s imperfections, many recognize its utility. Corporations recognize that younger generations of consumers are drawn to companies that embody inclusive and equitable values. Workplaces that develop initiatives and interventions designed to promote diversity, equity and inclusion will be better equipped to retain employees and remain sustainable in the future. In an ideal world, companies would prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice because it’s the right thing to do to create environments where every employee feels supported, valued, and can thrive. But in a capitalist society, profit drives decision-making. At the end of the day, companies recognize that despite claims of “go woke, go broke,” DEI is good for business.

The Need for Transformation in the DEI Field

Like any other field, DEI has its share of snake oil salespeople—folks with very little understanding or expertise in developing diversity, equity and inclusion solutions but because of their background, identity, or other factors, they entered the DEI space and were able to gain prestige and profit without providing any real or tangible solutions. This moment of heightened scrutiny, in many ways, is actually a good thing. The DEI opposition will drive much-needed transformation in a field that has strayed from its original goals and purpose. It is the job of those equipped with the truth to challenge the misinformation. While the terminology of DEI will continue to change, the core mission of DEI remains the same: ensuring that workplaces are sites that foster fairness, growth, opportunity, and development for all.

Conclusion

The data is clear: 87% of companies are maintaining or increasing their DEI budgets, and the majority of companies are not deterred by the current DEI backlash. It is crucial for those who believe in equity and justice to disprove the lies, dispel myths, and dispense accurate information about DEI. The media has a responsibility to shape the public’s perception and understanding of DEI, and it is up to us to challenge the misinformation and promote a more nuanced understanding of this critical field.

FAQs

• What is DEI?
  DEI stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Is DEI really dying?
  No, despite some claims, DEI is not dying. In fact, 87% of companies are maintaining or increasing their DEI budgets.
• Why are companies not abandoning DEI?
  Companies recognize that DEI is good for business, and it is a key factor in retaining employees and remaining sustainable in the future.
• What is the core mission of DEI?
  The core mission of DEI is to ensure that workplaces are sites that foster fairness, growth, opportunity, and development for all.

Neurodiversity is a term to describe cognitive differences. In a neurotypical world, these cognitive differences are often looked at as limitations rather than advantages. Because the workplace and larger society has been built by neurotypical people for neurotypical people to succeed, many of the systems benefit neurotypical people by default. Most systems were not designed with neurodivergent needs in mind, perpetuating the perception that neurodivergence mistakenly means “less than” or somehow flawed.

How is Neurodiversity Advantageous?

In my interview with Kristen Pressner, global head of people and culture at Roche and founder of Flip It to Test It, a tool for managing bias, she shared what it was like when she realized her own advice did not seem to work with her own family members who had recently been diagnosed with ADHD. She realized that, by not working under the assumption everyone’s brains worked the same way, she could be a better ally to her own family members.

Pressner realized that her family member’s brains seemed to be on a different operating system and she had to engage very differently; in doing so, the advantages of their brains became more evident. To engage differently, she began to ask questions like the following:

• Instead of, “Why can’t they get it together?” she asked, “What else might be causing the perception that they ‘can’t get it together’?”
• Instead of, “Why do they procrastinate?” she asked, “What might be happening inside their brain to make getting started so challenging?”
• Instead of, “How can I fix them?” she asked, “What can I learn from them?” and “What can I adapt in my approach to bring out the best in them?”

By removing the neurotypical default, rather than focusing on why neurodivergent people don’t fit into a neurotypical designed world, allies can better understand how to meet neurodivergent people where they are and provide support to leverage the broader talents of all brains equitably.

How Can I Be A Brain Friend?

Pressner coined a term to describe allyship in the neurodiversity community: brain friend in her latest TedTalk: Why is it that so many people just ‘can’t get it together’? Brain friends can ensure that reasonable accommodations are made, speak up about neurodiversity issues and take action to make more inclusive spaces. They may look for opportunities to leverage the unique advantages of neurodivergent people. Brain friends educate themselves on these differences; they are curious, non-judgmental and offer their support for how neurodivergent brains may be optimized.

Instead of seeing all the ways in which neurodivergents “don’t measure up” to a neurotypical standard, brain friends “flip it” to see the advantages divergent brains can bring. Brain friends think about the creativity, different perspectives or ideas that cognitive differences can bring. Flexibility, adaptations or reasonable accommodations are important for all people to thrive. For some, especially in the neurodivergent community, flexible work hours, natural lighting and quiet spaces can be helpful to maximize the advantages of different types of thinking. One question brain friends often ask is, “Why do we have to do it this way?” or “What if we tried a new way?” instead of imposing the neurotypical status quo.

Brain friends speak up about neurodiversity issues. In the workplace, it’s important to notice behaviors in meetings and in social settings. One challenge neurodivergent people may have is conforming to social cues, which can be harmful in interviews or promotion-selection processes where things like handshakes, eye contact and small talk can heavily influence employment decisions. To be a better ally, pay attention to neurotypical bias in these situations and use objective criteria to evaluate all talent equitably.

Allies take action. To be a better brain friend, engage in intentional consistent actions over time. Take inventory of your network: how many people do you know who are neurodivergent? How could you expand your network to include more neurodivergent people? How could you be a better mentor, sponsor, advocate, coach or challenger to neurodivergent people?

Conclusion

The beauty of allyship, when practiced well, is that the benefits largely come to those who are trying to be allies. As allies learn about differences and appreciate them, they often learn new ways of thinking, leading to higher productivity, creativity and decision making.

FAQs

Q: What is neurodiversity?
A: Neurodiversity is a term to describe cognitive differences.

Q: What are the benefits of neurodiversity?
A: The benefits include creativity, different perspectives, and ideas that cognitive differences can bring.

Q: How can I be a better ally to neurodivergent people?
A: By being a brain friend, you can ensure that reasonable accommodations are made, speak up about neurodiversity issues, and take action to make more inclusive spaces.

Q: What is the importance of reasonable accommodations?
A: Reasonable accommodations are important for all people to thrive, and for some, especially in the neurodivergent community, flexible work hours, natural lighting, and quiet spaces can be helpful to maximize the advantages of different types of thinking.