One in two lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT+) people say they are being bullied or harassed at work, according to a survey done by the TUC in the UK.
Involving 1,000 LGBTIA people, this survey particularly found that:
- over half of the respondents experienced at least one form of bullying or harassment at work in the last five years
- around one in five respondents (19%) had been exposed to verbal abuse about LGBTIA people in the workplace
- one in 20 respondents (5%) experienced physical violence, threats and intimidation because they are lesbian, gay, bi or trans
- more than a quarter of LGBTQIA people (29%) aren’t open with anyone at work
- bisexual workers are less likely to be open with anyone at work about their sexual orientation with 39% saying this compared to 14% for lesbian and gay workers
- eight in 10 (79%) trans respondents experienced bullying at work, compared with just under half (48%) of the full sample
- four in 10 respondents who had experienced bullying told us that their treatment at work had negatively impacted their mental health
- young LGBTQIA workers aged between 18 and 24, in particular, experience higher levels of discrimination at work
And so – according to the union organization – it is “not surprising that nearly three in 10 LGBT+ people keep their sexual orientation a secret at work.”
“LGBT+ people should be safe and supported at work, but instead, they’re experiencing shockingly high levels of bullying and harassment – including assault,” said TUC general secretary Paul Nowak.
For Nowak, “workplace culture clearly needs to change. No one should think that a colleague being LGBT+ means it’s OK to make discriminatory comments or ask them inappropriate questions – let alone carry out serious acts of assault. (Policymakers) must change the law to put the responsibility for preventing harassment on employers, not victims.”
