The discrimination pushing LGBTQ workers to quit | CPT PPP Coverage

Cryptopolytech (CPT) Public Press Pass (PPP)
News of the Day COVERAGE

200000048 – World Newser
•| #World |•| #Online |•| #Media |•| #Outlet |

View more Headlines & Breaking News here, as covered by cryptopolytech.com

Hawkins, who has moved into a role as director of the workplace-equality program at American LGBTQ+ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign (HRC), says workers have told her about water-cooler talk in which colleagues make assumptions about a worker’s orientation or gender; or healthcare policies that don’t explicitly support same-sex couples’ ability to take parental leave. She also points to other examples, like her own experience having to abide by a gendered dress code policy, official or unofficial.

Many of these issues, says Hawkins, stem from ingrained social norms in which “cisgender, heteronormativity” is the default – the assumption is everyone’s gender identity corresponds to their birth sex, and they are heterosexual – so the environment and culture conforms accordingly. This can be unwelcoming to those who identify as LGBTQ+, and create stressful working environments. Data shows this culture is also driving many LGBTQ+ employees to hide their authentic selves: in the Williams Institute study, more than half of LGBTQ+ employees surveyed said they were not open about their identities or sexual orientations with their supervisors, with more than a quarter not out to any of their colleagues. 

Along with demoralisation, this can breed workplace hostility. In the UK, a 2021 study from HR association the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) showed LGBTQ+ workers reported higher levels of workplace conflict than heterosexual, cisgender workers in the UK. Forty percent of LGBTQ+ employees said they had experienced workplace conflict in the past 12 months, compared with just 29% of non-LGBTQ+ employees. Those numbers were even higher for transgender employees. Many of these reported conflicts were never fully resolved: 44% of LGBTQ+ workers said their conflicts had not been resolved at all, and 38% said they had only been partly resolved.

Workplace conflicts “can take a significant psychological strain on people”, says Lutfur Ali, a senior policy adviser at CIPD. “And it’s one of the reasons that people have cited for why [LGBTQ+ people] are leaving the workplace.” 

Another issue that stems from discrimination, say experts, is job security and the opportunity for advancement. Although the Cap data showed LGBTQ+ respondents reported currently being employed at a higher rate than straight, cisgender respondents, the researchers also found that LGBTQ+ people were more likely to report that they were working part-time, were self-employed or were employed in the gig economy. This has knock-on effects for economic empowerment: along with the existence of an LGBTQ+ wage gap, the Cap report also showed that LGBTQ+ workers reported lower annual incomes overall. 

‘Most people would rather have a job and a paycheque than a lawsuit’

It’s not the case that employees have no recourse against discrimination. However, while both the US and UK have laws intended to protect the workplace rights of LGBTQ+ individuals, the policies are limited, and attempts to enforce them can be resource intensive.