While most of us wait to get done with work and go home, Vineet Bora* does just the opposite. To him, office is where he feels at home. The IT employee has been a victim of bullying and stigma for a greater part of his his life and even his family is not aware of his sexual identity. At office, however, he's treated as an equal and not treated differently because he's gay. “In a country where the LGBTQ community faces discrimination and a denial of basic rights, my company (Accenture) celebrates diversity. The managing team is sensitive towards such matters,” he smiles. Similarly, Rahil Shah*, another IT professional, says that coming out in office was not the nightmare he expected it to be. “I was a bit hesitant to reveal my identity initially to my colleagues, but after I did, they treated me just the way they did before. For an employee like me, morale is infinitely boosted when we know that our company believes in and practices inclusivity.”And Vineet and Rahil's are not the only offices to have initiated support for the LGBTQ community. IBM's EAGLE (Employee Alliance for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Empowerment ) business resource group, for instance, has been active for almost a decade. The members of the group voluntarily work on initiatives such as awareness, sensitisation, reverse mentoring and peer support. “We have an LGBT Ally Training program which stresses on LGBT inclusion importance, and sets the expected responsibilities of an LBGT Ally. The objective is to create more allies who help build a culture where everyone is accepted for who they are,” says Ajay Dua , executive sponsor, LGBT, IBM India. The company's leave and adoption policies are inclusive of the LGBT community and they provide health insurance coverage for gender affirmation surgery, besides a gender affirmation support policy for employees going through transition.In many IT companies, the process of inclusion starts right at recruitment. “Our hiring process ensures that everyone who joins is aware of the company’s zero-discrimination policy. Every year employees have to undergo mandatory online training that educates them about the dos and don’ts and ensures that no form of discrimination or workplace harassment is happening, intentionally or unintentionally,” says Sandeep Kanabar , principal software engineer, Symantec . The company also has Pride ERGs (Employee Resource Groups) that consist of employee volunteers who either identify themselves in the LGBTQ spectrum or are allys. “ERGs conduct workshops in which managers and employees are sensitised on issues that LGBTQ individuals face. Internal LGBTQ employees and allies as well as external non-Symantec folk are invited to speak,” says Sandeep.Another tech giant, Infosys too has formed an Employee Resource Group (ERG) for the LGBT community called Infosys Gays Lesbians and you (IGLU). The idea is to bring employees from the community together to have a dialogue on various internal processes and policies that affect them. “We also conduct a series of diversity and inclusion awareness and sensitisation programs on themes like sexual orientation and the LGBT community. The focus is to ensure that employees have a safe and harassment-free workplace,” says Richard Lobo , head HR, Infosys.Employees are encouraged to become allies and allies form a crucial part of representing our company in Pride Marches. Special workshops are conducted for managers who in turn engage their employees.- Sandeep Kanabar, principal software engineer, Symantec* Names changed for privacy