New research has found that only half of workers are confident that their company has instated LGBT+ inclusive policies in the workplace.
Research by PinkNews investigates the attitudes towards LGBT+ workers and policies within the workplace, with many people still reporting they are uncomfortable with sharing their sexuality.
When surveying staff who are LGBT+, only half (50 per cent) stated they were open about their sexual orientation or gender identity to all their work colleagues.
A further quarter (23 per cent) said they were open about their sexual orientation or gender identity, but only to certain colleagues.
However, almost a fifth (19 per cent) said they were not out at work because they did not want to be viewed or treated differently by their colleagues if they shared their sexuality or gender identity.
Similarly to this, a vast majority of workers were also unsure about whether their employer had implemented LGBT+ policies in the workplace.
Just over half (52 per cent) stated that they were “confident” that their company did whilst a third (33 per cent) were unsure.
Six per cent said their workplace did not have LGBT-inclusive policies, while nine per cent said the question did not apply to them.
In a report by the CIPD in February, the body emphasised the importance of creating LGBT+ inclusion strategies which should be bespoke to the needs of the LGBT+ community, inclusive of all aspects of LGBT+, and connected to broader diversity and inclusion strategies.
In addition to this, the CIPD stressed that firms should show effective leadership in championing LGBT+ inclusion, not only broader diversity and inclusion strategies. As part of this, continuously educating senior management was highlighted as important for creating an inclusive environment.
Another key recommendation for HR included working hard to establish trust with LGBT+ workers, building a clear strategy for promoting disclosure, and offering advice and support to line managers to work to improve disclosure in their teams.
Benjamin Cohen, Chief Executive of PinkNews, said there is still a lot of work to be done to ensure companies have the “right tools to start building and improving their LGBT-inclusive policies”.
Mr. Cohen further stated:
There’s still a lot of work to be done when it comes to transgender visibility and ensuring that companies have policies in place (and actually follow them through), creating open and safe workplaces for both LGBT+ people and allies.
*To collect this data, YouGov, commissioned by PinkNews, questioned over 2,141 adults across the UK on their work lives.
Monica Sharma is an English Literature graduate from the University of Warwick. As Editor for HRreview, her particular interests in HR include issues concerning diversity, employment law and wellbeing in the workplace. Alongside this, she has written for student publications in both England and Canada. Monica has also presented her academic work concerning the relationship between legal systems, sexual harassment and racism at a university conference at the University of Western Ontario, Canada.
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