Every year in June we recognize LGBTQ+ Pride Month in remembrance of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising. While a lot of companies promise to create a non-discriminatory work environment, we actually do it and celebrate Pride every year, every day. In the workplace, LGBTQ+ people still struggle being their true self, sometimes living a double life. Our goal is to erase the line between “real life” and “work life” identities, fostering a workplace that not only promotes diversity, but values it as a core focus.
At UWM, creating a work environment that represents our appreciation for people because of their differences is key. We want team members to be proud of who they are and share it with their work family. From Be You Here days to observe important dates that are not federally observed holidays to community-specific foods in the cafeteria, everyone is motivated to be true to who they are.
United Pride
Employee Resource Groups, or Team Member Resource Groups as we call them, are a great way to help people join a community at work with a common goal in mind and gain access to educational value specific to the community.
United Pride, UWM’s LGBTQ+ support group, spreads awareness and offers a safe place to celebrate Pride. Team members can join to be surrounded by like-minded people or to find out more about the LGBTQ+ community and become a better ally. Currently, this Team Member Resource Group has over 300 members and is growing each year.
Through a variety of initiatives, United Pride promotes unity and safety and champions personal and professional growth. By hosting charity events, partnering with the local LGBTQ+ community center Affirmations or offering social gatherings, there is always an activity going on. The visibility and lessons participants learn not only shape their interactions in our workplace but also impact their everyday life and the people around them.
Members of the LGBTQ+ community often grow up feeling isolated and separated from the people around them. That’s why sharing one’s story makes such an impact — it not only shows representation, but also opens the door for connection and true solidarity. United Pride’s annual bonfires represent a chance for team members to network and share their story with other LGBTQ+ community members.
United Pride also organizes an annual Pride Walk across our 200-acre campus to celebrate Pride, raise awareness and showcase the wish for team members to be out and proud. Going one step further, we actively encourage people from the metro Detroit LGBTQ+ community to seek job opportunities at UWM. For the second year in a row, United Pride had a booth at Ferndale Pride, offering support and recruiting people to join the team.
Be You Here
Adam Smock is a trainer in Underwriting and has a hand in shaping the work environment for the team members he leads. He is also one of the longest standing members of United Pride and was instrumental in founding the resource group. “At all the companies I’ve worked for, your private life was always separate from your life at work.” Adam shared. “I am happy to work at a company that lets me do what I do while being very open and comfortable. I even got my kids to join me here.”
To Adam, UWM is very unique in that sense. He has seen a lot of people join UWM and his biggest message to new talent is, “I want people to feel like they are joining a community and not just doing a job. Pride is usually a noun but here we consider it more of a verb. It requires action. You get to participate and take pride in that. Be You Here is one of our biggest mottos. As cheesy as it sounds, it means something here.”
Whether you are part of the LGBTQ+ community, looking for a company that celebrates Pride and encourages you to embrace who you are, or want to find a place that supports its team members enthusiastically — we want you to Be You Here at UWM. Join our team!