*EPA to Start Collecting Employee Data on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity*
Aug. 30, 2016 12:40pm Jon Street <http://www.theblaze.com/author/jon-street/> · · · · The Environmental Protection Agency will begin collecting employee data on sexual orientation and gender identity to help LGBT employees “feel included,” according to an internal agency email sent by EPA chief of staff Matt Fritz last week. “A professional, productive and inclusive workplace is essential to our mission of protecting human health and the environment,” Fritz told employees in the email, according to the Washington Free Beacon <http://freebeacon.com/issues/epa-collect-employee-data-sexual-orientation-gender-identity/>. [image: Description: Environmental Protection Agency building sign, Washington, D.C. (AP)] <http://www.theblaze.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/2014_03_25_EPA.jpg> Environmental Protection Agency building in Washington, D.C. (AP) “When collected, safely stored, and analyzed along with other demographic information, S[exual] O[rientation] G[ender] I[dentity] data serve as an important resource for developing workforce engagement strategies and improving organizational performance,” Fritz added. Fritz said that, while there are legal protections already in place for LGBT employees, statistics suggest that LGBT employees “do not feel included in workplaces and feel compelled to lie about their personal lives at work.” He added that collection of such data can help the agency learn how to get more employees engaged at work. “We all have a sexual orientation and gender identity, and participation in the pilot by a diverse set of people will enable better analyses,” Fritz said. The Free Beacon reported that the agency is collecting employee data on a voluntary basis. The agency will begin doing so with employees based in Midwestern states. All employees will be able to share that information by this winter. The EPA will start asking employee applicants their sexual orientation and gender identity in 2017. ------------------------------ [image: Avast logo] <https://www.avast.com/antivirus> This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. www.avast.com <https://www.avast.com/antivirus> __._,_.___ ------------------------------ Posted by: "Beowulf" <[email protected]> ------------------------------ Visit Your Group <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/grendelreport/info;_ylc=X3oDMTJmY2tpb2xtBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzIwMTk0ODA2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTMyMzY2NwRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0aW1lAzE0NzI2NjMzMzY-> [image: Yahoo! Groups] <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo;_ylc=X3oDMTJlN2ZrdGIwBF9TAzk3NDc2NTkwBGdycElkAzIwMTk0ODA2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTMyMzY2NwRzZWMDZnRyBHNsawNnZnAEc3RpbWUDMTQ3MjY2MzMzNg--> • Privacy <https://info.yahoo.com/privacy/us/yahoo/groups/details.html> • Unsubscribe <[email protected]?subject=Unsubscribe> • Terms of Use <https://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/terms/> __,_._,___ -- -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "PoliticalForum" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
