European railway employee networks exchange at SBB
21. September 2026
On 18 September 2026, SBB brought together LGBTIQ+ employee networks from the railway sector for an international exchange in Zurich. Participants from several European countries, including Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands and Switzerland, shared experiences and approaches to creating more inclusive workplaces across the sector.
The Swiss LGBTI-Label was invited to contribute to the discussion and present its approach to credible and sustainable workplace inclusion.
Making inclusion visible — and verifiable
A central theme of the Swiss LGBTI-Label presentation was the difference between expressing a commitment to inclusion and embedding that commitment in everyday organisational practice.
Employee networks, visible support and individual initiatives play an important role. Sustainable implementation, however, also requires appropriate structures: clear responsibilities, policies that apply consistently, inclusive HR processes, equipped managers, safe feedback mechanisms and regular review of progress.
This distinction matters because good intentions can otherwise remain disconnected from employees’ actual workplace experience. Policies may exist but be applied inconsistently, responsibility may remain unclear, or specific groups — including trans, non-binary and intersex employees and rainbow families — may not be fully considered.
A structured approach to organisational development
The Swiss LGBTI-Label helps organisations examine these questions systematically.
The certification process combines self-assessment and supporting evidence with an independent scientific evaluation. For large and very large organisations, the assessment covers 60 weighted questions across seven fields of action:
- Mission & Strategy
- Concept Development
- Leadership & Organisation
- External Communication
- Quality Management
- Human Resources
- Legal Requirements
The process considers not only whether a policy or initiative exists, but also where it is documented, how it is implemented, whether employees and managers understand it and how the organisation evaluates its impact.
This turns certification into more than recognition of existing activity. It provides a structured view of an organisation’s current position and identifies areas for further development.
Progress does not require a perfect starting point
One of the messages shared with participants was that organisations do not need to begin from a position of perfection.
Workplace inclusion can develop progressively: from individual and sometimes ad-hoc activities, to defined responsibilities and policies, to consistent implementation across the organisation and, ultimately, to a learning approach in which experience and evidence regularly inform improvements.
What matters is that the next step is concrete, has a clear owner and can be verified.
Learning across organisations and borders
Bringing together railway employee networks from different European countries provided an opportunity to compare approaches, challenges and practical experiences across organisational and national contexts.
For the Swiss LGBTI-Label, exchanges of this kind are particularly valuable when they connect the experience of employee networks with the structures and processes needed to create sustainable organisational change.
We thank SBB for hosting the event and all participating networks for the constructive exchange.
