Half of LGBTQ+ employees have been bullied or harassed at work, study suggests

A new report has highlighted the stark reality of bullying and harassment that queer employees in the UK still face in the workplace.

A survey of 1,000 LGBTQ+ people, conducted for the Trade Union Congress (TUC), revealed that 52 per cent of respondents have been bullied or harassed at least once at work.

The survey, carried out by Number Cruncher Politics, also revealed that 19 per cent of queer employees had been exposed to verbal abuse within the past five years. More than a quarter said they had homophobic, biphobic or transphobic remarks directed at then or made in their presence.

And five per cent reported experiencing physical violence, threats or intimidation because of their sexual orientation.

It’s is not surprising to learn that nearly 30 per cent of LGBTQ+ people remain in the closet at work, the TUC concluded.

Queer Gen Z employees face more harassment than older colleagues

On every measure, Gen Z queer workers, those aged between 18 and 24, experience higher levels of discrimination in “the office”, according to the survey.

Compared to the full sample of respondents, 65 per cent of queer Gen Z members of staff said they had experienced some form of bullying, harassment and discrimination in the past five years. Twenty per cent said they were bullied because of their sexual orientation, compared with 11 per cent of LGBTQ+ workers of all ages.

Another group seemingly marked out were transgender employees, with 79 per cent of trans respondents having experienced bullying at work, compared with 48 per cent of the full sample.

The long-reaching impact of LGBTQ+ harassment at work

Of those who had been a victim of bullying at work, 40 per cent said it harmed their mental health, leaving them more stressed, anxious or depressed. More than a third said they lost confidence at work following the incident and six per cent went as far as to quit because of the abuse.

Workplace culture needs to change

Despite the rampant harassment, only 16 per reported the bullying to their employers. A quarter of people told a colleague, but 40 per cent didn’t tell anyone.

While almost 50 per cent of respondents who reported the abuse said their complaint was taken seriously, 20 per cent said it was ignored, and an average of one in every eight said they were not even believed.

The TUC says this shows there is room for employers to improve their practices when it comes to dealing with the bullying, harassment and discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ staff.

TUC general secretary Paul Nowak said: “This new report shines a light on the extent of discrimination LGBT+ workers face in our workplaces.

“LGBT+ people should be safe and supported at work. But, instead, they’re experiencing shockingly high levels of bulling and harassment – including assault. Workplace culture clearly needs to change.”

It is up to government ministers to change the law to “put the responsibility for preventing harassment on employers, not victims”, he added.

“Labour’s Employment Rights Bill, which will come into place in the first 100 days of this new government, will make a real difference. Ministers have pledged to ban zero-hours contracts, raise the national minimum wage to £15 an hour as soon as possible, and work with unions to make sure all workplaces are safe and inclusive for all.

“And employers must adopt a zero-tolerance approach to all forms of bullying, harassment and discrimination.”

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