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Commercial property firm Cushman & Wakefield has had a dedicated LGBTQIA+ committee since 2017. Seven years on, this is what they have learnt.
Lucy Basten is a lawyer with nearly three decades of experience in Australia and the UK, and is currently the head of legal at Cushman & Wakefield.
She is also the mother of five children.
“My wish is to raise them to be compassionate, empathetic, kind and inclusive humans,” Ms Basten said. “We all have our part to play in role-modelling these behaviours so that the generations to follow inhabit a more inclusive world.”
The desire to build a more accepting world for future generations to enjoy has driven Ms Basten to take significant steps in a place that she and her colleagues spend more time in than almost any other: the workplace.
“Cushman & Wakefield’s dedicated LGBTQIA+ committee kicked off in 2017 during the Australian plebiscite,” Ms Basten recalled. “During this time, there was a need to rally the troops and support colleagues and allies impacted by the Australian political climate at the time.”
In 2019, the committee became known as the UNITY ANZ chapter, and it now supports over 1,800 employees across Australia and New Zealand via events, community initiatives and external partnerships.
“Whilst the Australian property sector has come a long way since the start of my career, there is an ongoing need for visibility, leadership and mentorship for the LGBTQIA+ community,” Ms Basten said.
There is a growing number of mentorship programs across the property sector connecting young LGBTQIA+ newcomers to seasoned property professionals, but Ms Basten said: “We would still like to see more events, activations and thought leadership around LGBTQIA+ people led by property firms.”
Inclusive physical design is another priority for the property sector.
“Beyond just gender-neutral bathrooms, inclusive design supports the inclusion of all people, especially those with a diverse gender identity or physical/intellectual disability,” Ms Basten explained.
One of the highlights of UNITY ANZ’s activities in recent years has been the chapter’s close relationship with BuildingPride, an external organisation that supports LGBTQIA+ employees in the construction industry.
Cushman & Wakefield’s UNITY ANZ chapter also partnered with the Property Council of Australia to light up six skyscrapers in the Sydney CBD during last year’s Sydney WorldPride festival.
But it isn’t all fun and games for the group, who also works to advance LGBTQIA+ safety and support in more quotidian ways.
“At Cushman & Wakefield, all employees must draft and complete a personal commitment to advance diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) that is action-oriented and measurable, and they must complete two hours of DEI events or learning experiences per year,” she said.
The company has also updated many of their internal policies to better support LGBTQIA+ employees, including “adding surrogacy and adoption to our parental leave policy”.
In 2023, Cushman & Wakefield was awarded Bronze Employer status by the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI), the definitive national benchmark on LGBTQIA+ workplace inclusion.
“I believe that everyone should feel as though they can be their whole selves at work,” Ms Basten said.
“If we’re providing psychologically safe, inclusive and productive places for LGBTQIA+ people to belong, the industry has the opportunity to harness an incredible amount of talent, experience and history.”
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