Schneider Electric: Building an Inclusive Culture for LGBT+ at Work
by Kevin Castel
In celebration of Pride month, I’m sharing my story
In Hong Kong, LGBT+ rights are different.
As a French citizen living in Hong Kong, I cannot marry my partner in this city. My partner and I, took this as an opportunity to celebrate our marriage twice. First, we married in Canada – my husband being a Canadian citizen – we signed our wedding certificate there. We had a small celebration with a few friends and family. Later, we celebrated our wedding in a beautiful ceremony in Brittany, France, where I come from, with all our friends and family.
I have been “out” at work for a long time, even before I came to Hong Kong in 2013. For me it is important to comfortably be myself in my working place. For me, being myself at work is crucial.
Over the past few years, our company has adapted and improved the way to talk about Inclusion. Especially about LGBT+ communities. When I joined Schneider Electric in France, my partner and I had access to the same benefits as any other couple. Even before marriage was legal, the company was already one of the few to recognize all forms of unions.
