We’re stoked to receive the Rainbow Tick

Making sure Habit Health is an inclusive and safe space – not only for the people who work with us but also for the clients we support across the country – is hugely important to us. We want everyone who walks through our door to feel welcome in being their authentic, amazing selves.

Three and a half years ago (with Covid slowing us down!), we set out to get the Rainbow Tick, and now we can finally say we are there, bringing meaning to our pledges of diversity and inclusion.

Being a Rainbow Tick accredited employer means ongoing improvement - it’s not just a one-and-done. Inclusivity is always something we will be focused on and building on. The programme is designed to make sure that a workplace is safe and welcoming for employees who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. And equally, we also want LGBTQIA+ clients to feel very much welcome in our care too. 

This huge but wholly organic undertaking has been part of the wider Habit Health commitment towards being a collective of care. It has been spearheaded by the executive team, our stakeholders, our diversity and inclusion committee and all individuals who make us who we are.  

Leigh-Ann Ung, Habit Health’s HR Executive, helped lead the efforts. She shares, “We want to be the best workplace we can be. What matters most is that every single individual feels they can be themselves at work.

“While nothing was ‘broken’ or ‘wrong’ with how we were doing things at Habit Health, it was important for us to hear different perspectives and build them into what we’re doing.

“To get the Rainbow Tick, an organisation goes through a thorough assessment that’s done by the Rainbow Tick organisation. We were then presented with a report which found we could make some improvements to things we were already doing and some new additions. We worked hard to put these in place quickly,” says Leigh-Ann.

Habit Health now has a Rainbow Allies Committee dedicated to fostering a culture that adheres to inclusivity, safety and feeling welcome. Initiatives include a dedicated Rainbow Hub, training workbooks and videos on calling out discrimination and encouraging gender-inclusive language and pronouns. 

We’ve also introduced pronoun options in our client forms and handy cards at our reception desks where clients can change their pronouns easily. Our internal newsletter also has a dedicated segment for our Rainbow Allies Committee to include content.

“We also love to actively participate in national initiatives such as Pink Shirt Day. This is where we donate $2 to the Mental Health Foundation for every photograph taken to commemorate the event.

“We also take part in  ‘Sweat with Pride’, where we exercise to raise money and awareness of health inequities within the LGBTQIA+ community. Our staff take the lead on these wonderful initiatives,” Leigh-Ann adds.

Chief Executive Ben Teusse reiterates how important this is for us, “Ninety percent of Habit Health staff are client-facing, so the communities we support are really at the heart of what we do – and we have to get it right.”

“Our commitment remains to make sure everyone feels welcome, safe and respected. We have so much aroha for our rainbow colleagues and clients, and we are so proud to now have the Rainbow Tick,” says Leigh-Ann.

If you’ve got any questions or suggestions about inclusivity at Habit Health, please get in touch with Leigh-Ann at leigh-ann.ung@habit.health, and she’ll arrange a time to chat with you.