One in seven UK employees harassed over perceived sexuality in the last year
An international study into the experiences of LGBT people living in 21 countries around the world has revealed what it described as “endemic” homophobia in workplaces internationally.
The new research study includes information on life experiences of LGBT people across six continents and claims to reveal the clearest picture yet of the prevalence of homophobia and its current impacts on the lives of many millions of lesbian and gay people globally.
Almost one in six respondents to the LGBT2020 study from the USA and more than one in seven in the UK (US: 15.3 percent and UK: 14.5 percent) told researchers they have personally experienced harassment from colleagues at work during the past twelve months, because of their perceived sexuality.
The statistics are part of the Out Now Global LGBT2020 Study based in the Netherlands. This landmark research project has collected data from more 100,000 people internationally, measuring a broad range of aspects of the lives of LGBT people.
One finding in the figures released this week is that homophobic harassment and discrimination is still commonplace in many aspects of LGBT people’s work lives.
While 53 percent of people were out to all their work colleagues in the UK, that figure dropped to 44 percent in the US.
Just over a quarter of people polled, 27 percent, believed coming out would harm their prospects for promotion in the UK, rising to 35 percent in the US.
According to Ian Johnson, CEO of Out Now, which carried out the research, companies need to do much better on workplace Diversity and Inclusion policies to implement real improvements for all gay and lesbian staff at work. Read More
