At the moment, almost 500 bills that target the LGBTQ+ community are working their way through state legislatures, according to data collected by the American Civil Liberties Union. Job-search platform Indeed surveyed 732 members of the LGBTQ+ community to understand the landscape they are facing at work. Here are the study’s key findings:
- The majority of LGBTQ+ workers are not comfortable being out at work: Only 31% of respondents are out to their entire workforce. Members of Gen X were 92% more likely than Gen Z respondents to say they were out. Meanwhile, 26% of respondents were not out to anyone at work.
- Many fear discrimination: Of those who aren’t out at work, 43% said it was because they fear discrimination, 35% said they fear harassment, and 24% said they were worried about career advancement. Some 3 in 10 respondents said they experienced discrimination at a past workplace, and 43% said they witnessed an LGBTQ+ coworker experience discrimination at a previous workplace. Meanwhile, 29% of respondents said they faced discrimination during job interviews, and transgender respondents were 63% more likely to report discrimination.
- Companies have toothless nondiscrimination policies: 89% of respondents said their company has a no-discrimination policy, but 22% said their company does not enforce it, and 26% said there’s no process for reporting discrimination to HR.
- Very few companies are taking a stand: Only 14% of companies have taken action regarding anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, and only 57% of those companies have added benefits specific to LGTBTQ+ employees.
“We are at a crucial moment when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights in the U.S., and employers need to do their part in a real and direct way,” said LaFawn Davis, environmental, social, and governance executive at Indeed. “It is not enough to put a rainbow on your logo in June. . . . The LGBTQ+ community needs benefits, employee groups, psychological safety, representation, and support.”
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