Stryker has always been committed to building an inclusive, engaging work environment. Our focus is to encourage, value, and leverage differences in people and perspectives to achieve maximum business performance. We see diversity and inclusion as a business imperative aligned with our mission and values. With this in mind, we proudly offer our team members nine employee resource groups (ERGs) to empower them to help us make strides to increase diversity and drive equity and inclusion.
Fast facts about Stryker's Allies for Equality (SAFE)
Mission: SAFE champions a workplace where LGBTQIA+ employees are embraced as innovative, dedicated, collaborative, and equal contributors to Stryker’s core mission and values.
Founded: 2015
Where to find SAFE: With 19 chapters around the globe, SAFE can be found in each region we serve.
About SAFE
Established in 2015, SAFE was one of Stryker’s early employee resource groups (ERGs). With locations throughout the United States, Europe, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific, SAFE is committed to helping employees feel comfortable bringing their authentic selves to work on a global scale.
Members of SAFE celebrate diversity while fostering an inclusive environment for all employees. SAFE also provides members with opportunities for networking, continued education, and access to informational resources focusing on LGBTQIA+ topics.
SAFE is dedicated to fostering a more inclusive workplace for all employees regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression.
Making Stryker more inclusive
How is SAFE supporting their mission to promote a workplace where LGBTQIA+ employees are embraced for who they are? The impact SAFE has on Stryker’s culture can’t be summed up in just a paragraph or two, so we’ll give you a few highlights:
Creating safe spaces: A training on Allyship and the history and laws affecting the LGBTQIA+ community.
The executive steering committee: Was founded in 2021, meets monthly to share best practices and align on global approaches to inclusivity.
Bi-annual SAFE town halls: Held to reinforce the mission, values and strategic priorities as well as celebrate and recognize the achievements of our members.
Education events and leadership spotlights: Utilized to raise awareness across the global Stryker community.
A career destination for all talent
SAFE is focused on creating an inclusive workforce for all Stryker employees and bringing awareness of the LGBTQIA+ community to Stryker. Currently, SAFE has three top priorities that are guiding their efforts:
Building the SAFE brand: SAFE sponsors and supports local Pride events and other LGBTQIA+ notable dates and activities, while working with local organizations and charities to support the LGBTQIA+ community. SAFE also hosts internal events like Music Bingo, Drag Storytime, Discussion Panels, Happy Hour/ Mixers, and other unique celebrations all of which build the SAFE brand.
Creating tools and building alignment: SAFE assists Stryker in understanding the LGBTQIA+ communities that exist within our walls and beyond them. This helps ensure that our strategies, business and market platforms, and values best reflect the diversity of our employee population, the communities our operations are located in, and our customers and patients.
Education and Allyship: SAFE offers ‘Creating Safe Spaces Allyship Training’, which provides an overview of SAFE’s history and initiatives and an explanation of LGBTQIA+ community concepts and definitions. This training also offers a lesson on the history and current climate of LGBTQIA+ rights, and an explanation of allyship vs advocacy and how to incorporate allyship into daily life.
What SAFE means to the Stryker team
“SAFE is one of the first ERGs at Stryker with new chapters being established at a rapid rate. Members have supported and participated in LGBTQIA+ events across the globe. We truly are a Global Employee Resource Group with Stryker Allies for Equality Chapters based across the USA, Canada and many regions outside of the US, all driving a mission to create a culture of belonging and inclusion throughout Stryker. Our customers are diverse and we are proud that our team members are diverse which truly makes us stronger”
Kris G.| Global Attraction Lead | SAFE | United States
“SAFE means being welcomed. It’s an open invitation to be your own self, to be assured that LGBTQIA people are an important part of the community and company’s culture. SAFE is also an open door to meet amazing people, sharing experiences, and growing as a professional and a person”
Patryk S. | Site Lead | SAFE | Poland
“What I enjoy most about being involved with SAFE is, one, I get to be my true self every day at work, but also, I get to experience others being able to do that and be there to support them and to talk to them. And be there to talk to parents who have children asking questions. Also, to see all the chapters that have been created. It’s just blowing me away and to be part of the ally training that we’ve done the last few years. And to get the text and emails from people just saying they didn’t know this existed, it’s so life-fulfilling. I found a true passion for DE&I in the last few years. I’m really grateful for SAFE and grateful for Stryker.”
Regan H. | Community Lead | SAFE | United States
“Being involved with SAFE has allowed me to be my authentic self at work because you're able to find a sense of community, a sense of belonging, and that's the first step to being who you are”. Dice P. | Co-Site lead | SAFE | Canada