Diversity in the workplace at heart of T-Mobile’s corporate philosophy
This week, T-Mobile Puerto Rico has been celebrating the diversity of its employees, which has been part of its DNA for years. The events lead up to the carrier’s fourth annual participation in Puerto Rico’s gay pride parade taking place this weekend.
Lyannete Dávila, marketing director for T-Mobile Puerto Rico, said T-Mobile’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is a reflection of its customer base, as well as of its employees. The concept of diversity includes the LGBT community, veterans, and the physically challenged, among others.
“Diversity and inclusion really have been key in developing and driving our growth as a company. And being accepting not only of our employees, but our customers as well, has helped us increase our presence in the marketplace,” she said, noting T-Mobile extends health and other benefits to employees and their spouses, including same-sex couples.
As part of the week’s events, T-Mobile invited Jaimie Wilson, a trans activist and country music artist, who shared his story about transforming from female to male in 2015 — a life change he has also documented on social media.
During an interview with this media outlet, Wilson explained that when he began his transformation, his family rejected his choice and kicked him out. A few days later, his phone service was cut off, so he turned to T-Mobile after a bad experience with his former provider.
“This lady started helping me immediately. I explained to her my situation and she just wanted to help me, which is really what I needed,” he said. “She was one of the first people in my life to ever use male pronouns with me. She was one of the first people who ever did that for me.”
Living as a man, Wilson has also spent time educating other members of his community about their rights, particularly in the workplace. Because there are many states where it is legal to fire an employee over sexual identity issues, he said it is important for people to find a support system from the LGBT community.
“Just to have a home base for things related to your work environment because they can protect you legally. If you don’t know your rights, how are you supposed to defend yourself?” he posed. “For people like us, you have to be your own best friend when it comes to issues like that.”
