A fifth of workplaces do not have policies in place to support LGBT staff, a survey by union body the TUC has found.
Only 51% have a policy prohibiting discrimination, bullying and harassment against LGBT staff, and 47% offer a clear reporting route for workers to raise concerns about such incidents.
This is despite the fact that one in eight managers have dealt with complaints of harassment or discrimination from LGBT workers.
Where companies do have policies in place, these have not been refreshed, according to the TUC. Only one in three of the organisations that have policies have updated them in the past 12 months. More than a quarter (28%) can’t remember the last time they looked at them.
TUC research recently found that there is a 16% LGBT pay gap, meaning LGBT workers are effectively paid £6,703 less per year. Despite this, only one in eight workplaces monitor this gap, and just a fifth have an action plan in place to address inequalities.
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When it comes to support for trans and non-binary workers, only a quarter of managers said they have a specific policy in place to help employees who are considering a transition.
Less than half (47%) have policies in place around family-friendly support, including adoption and parental pay and leave that apply equally to LGBT workers, it found.
TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said the fact that so many workplaces do not have specific policies in place to support LGBT staff was “shocking”.
“Without these policies, too many LGBT workers experience bullying, harassment and discrimination at work,” she said.
“A step change is long overdue. Ministers must introduce a new duty on employers to protect all workers from harassment by customers and clients.”
The TUC wants the government to introduce a statutory requirement for large employers to report on their LGBT pay gaps – in the same way they do their gender pay gaps – with action plans detailing how bosses will address these inequalities.
It is also urging ministers to consult with unions on a strategy to ensure workplaces are safe for LGBT employees, including potentially introducing a new duty to protect workers from harassment by customers or clients.
The TUC’s annual LGBT+ conference will be held today (30 June) and tomorrow in London.
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