Workers are still reluctant to self-identify to human resources departments.
(Bloomberg) — Some 84% of LGBTQ workers in the US are out to at least one colleague, according to a study published Tuesday by the Human Rights Campaign. But exactly who individuals choose to be out to show that companies still have some way to go to be fully inclusive.
While 81% of respondents are out to a member of their direct team, that number falls to 69% for a direct supervisor and below half for those who are out to their human resources department. According to an earlier study, two-thirds of LGBTQ youth — set to enter the workforce in the next five years — want to be open about their identity at work.
The survey of 3,044 workers, both LGBTQ and non-LGBTQ, showed that 40% of people who’ve hidden their LGBTQ identity at work have done so because they’re afraid of being stigmatized or facing violence. HRC in June declared a national state of emergency for the community in the US during a year in which a record number of bills against it have been introduced and hate crimes targeting members have jumped.
While self-identifying is a personal decision, it’s important for HR departments to build trust by letting LGBTQ workers know how such disclosures could help ensure equitable and inclusive treatment of the entire workforce, said RaShawn Hawkins, senior director of HRC’s Workplace Equality Program.
The findings come as corporate diversity programs have become a flashpoint for those railing against “woke” capitalism. Hawkins noted that the US Supreme Court’s ban on race-conscious university admissions is already having an impact, with 13 Republican attorneys general writing to Fortune 100 CEOs to urge them to reassess their stated diversity goals. Protests against brands with LGBTQ-themed merchandise or marketing campaigns escalated ahead of this year’s June Pride Month. Target Corp. reported violent attacks against employees, and the retailer removed some items from its collection of LGBTQ-themed goods, while beer drinkers boycotted Bud Light for its work with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
There were some other bright spots in the data. The majority of both LGBTQ workers and non-LGBTQ workers believe their employer values diversity in sexual and gender identity. The 35% of LGBTQ workers who said they’d heard a joke or negative comment about lesbian or gay people at work compares to the 61% in 2008 who’d heard anti-LGBT remarks.
“We’re not saying we’re there yet, but we’re on a path to have a more inclusive and impactful workplace,” Hawkins said. “It’s just imperative now more than ever right to double down or triple down in your DEI efforts as an employer.”
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