Many LGBT+ employees feel they are at more of a disadvantage now than five years ago, with the US having the highest recognition of discrimination among seven countries, a new survey shows.
The US has the highest recognition of discrimination at 51% of respondents, compared with 47% in the UK, according to Randstand’s Workmonitor Pulse Survey. In the UK, 27% said discrimination had gotten worse in the past five years.
Randstad, a human resources company based in the Netherlands, asked over 2,000 LGBT+ employees across seven countries how much has changed at work in the past five years.
Many companies are not considered a safe space for minorities to be their authentic selves, according to the report. While 58% of LGBT+ workers in the UK feel comfortable discussing their sexuality or gender identity at work, a quarter avoid it altogether, the report said.
Four in 10 (39%) UK workers felt more isolated in the workplace than they did five years ago, the report said, with this sense of isolation being more pronounced amongst Millennials (45%) and Gen Z (37%).
Outside the UK, this sentiment is similar.
Workers in Japan are the least comfortable talking about their sexuality and gender identity at work, with only a third (34%) feeling comfortable, the report said.
However, these workers also are less concerned about job application discrimination (17%) than workers in other regions.
Inaction could widen talent gaps
Employers that fail to improve their work culture and analyse where diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts fall short could lose out on talent, the report said. The data shows that feeling uncomfortable at work has caused one in three LGBT+ employees to quit.
Many employees say that coming out is risky. Forty-one per cent worry that disclosing their sexuality or gender identity will affect career progression, and 36% believe their sexuality or gender identity has negatively impacted their career.
“The data highlights a clear need for greater support and inclusivity in workplaces … especially when labour markets are experiencing talent scarcity,” the report said. Millennial workers in particular, the report said, are pushing organisations to make meaningful changes. They see some existing company initiatives as tokenistic and inauthentic.
Change starts at the top
The report recommends three ways employers can take action to improve their work culture:
Move away from tokenism. Ensure all initiatives are grounded in the real experience of employees to make sure DEI initiatives don’t miss the mark, the report said. Expressing visible support is also important, from having LGBT+ representation in leadership, to supporting Pride events and LGBT+ charities.
Commit to learning and education. Leaders who educate themselves on inclusive language and the diverse LGBT+ experiences of staff and who take steps to reduce their biases are best positioned to make meaningful changes to anti-discrimination policies and develop protocols to deal with unfair treatment.
Promote allyship all year round. Employers can do this by providing gender-neutral bathrooms and changing areas, as well as making sure that benefit and health insurance plans are LGBT+ friendly by including domestic partner benefits and healthcare for transgender employees.
Resources
DEI-related resources, including a toolkit for allyship, are available from AICPA & CIMA.
— To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Steph Brown at Stephanie.Brown@aicpa-cima.com.
