Tata Steel has onboarded 12 crane operator trainees from the LBGTQ+ community as part of its ongoing drive to build a diverse employee base, the company has announced.
The workers will begin their training at Tata’s Kalinganagar plant, and will add to the existing 14 transgender employees hired last year at Tata Steel’s West Bokaro Division. According to a release issued by the company, this step of onboarding the LGBTQ+ community not only aims to break the glass ceiling but also targets to mainstream transgender people in the industrial community. "Tata Steel’s Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) initiative aims at curating a workplace where everyone is respected, every voice is heard, and people can bring their authentic selves to work," stated the release.
“We will continue with our efforts to drive LGBTQ+ inclusion and build a benchmark workplace.''
Atrayee Sanyal, vice president of HR, Tata Steel
“We will continue with our efforts to drive LGBTQ+ inclusion and build a benchmark workplace. This journey of HR excellence has been extremely rewarding and motivates us to explore new horizons on diversity and inclusion,” said Atrayee Sanyal, vice president of HR at Tata Steel. The trainees will undergo training for a year before they begin working in the plant as crane operators.
“As an equal opportunity employer, Tata Steel respects the uniqueness of individuals and is putting its best foot forward to shape the workspace of tomorrow.”
Rajiv Kumar, vice president of operations, Tata Steel
“As an equal opportunity employer, Tata Steel respects the uniqueness of individuals and is putting its best foot forward to shape the workspace of tomorrow,” said Rajiv Kumar, vice president of operations at Tata Steel.
In addition, the company has taken other D&I initiatives, including menstrual leaves, equal benefits for LGBTQ+ partners, gender neutral parental leaves, and support for gender confirmation- and has announced a target of having a 25% diverse workforce by 2025.