Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Equality, diversity and inclusionLatest NewsDiscriminationLGBTSexual orientation discrimination

Two in five LGBTQ+ workers experience discrimination

by Ashleigh Webber 22 May 2024
by Ashleigh Webber 22 May 2024 Sandor Szmutko / Shutterstock
Sandor Szmutko / Shutterstock

Two in five LGBTQ+ workers have faced discrimination at work, with many considering quitting their jobs or exploring alternative careers in pursuit of inclusion.

This is according to a survey of more than 2,000 LGBTQ+ employees by Randstad, which also found one in three believe their sexuality or gender identity has negatively affected their career progression or remuneration.

Discrimination or prejudice at work has been faced by 41% of LGBTQ+ workers, while 36% reported feeling less motivated or productive because they could not be themselves at work.

LGBTQ+ inclusion

Research: Gen Z wants more recognition for LGBTQ+ workers

LGBTQ+ policies not enough for inclusion, finds report

Scottish Parliament staff banned from wearing rainbow lanyards

Thirty-six per cent chose to work remotely because they did not feel their workplace was inclusive.

These feelings among LGBTQ+ individuals meant that employers risked losing a wealth of talent, as 29% of workers surveyed felt compelled to quit their jobs or pursue alternative careers that were more inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community.

Although concerns about discrimination were still common, 41% of the LGBTQ+ workers surveyed said they now faced less discrimination than they experienced in 2019, while 51% said their employer had taken meaningful action to create an equitable workplace.

Fifty-eight per cent said the overall responsibility for creating an inclusive workplace sat with their employer, while 57% said their organisation should take a stance on LGTBQ+ issues internally.

The research, released ahead of Pride Month in June, also found that 41% of workers said their employer actively engages with Pride Month, but 39% felt their employer’s involvement was tokenistic. Millennial and Gen Z employees were more likely than older workers to describe their employer’s engagement with Pride as tokenistic.

Sander van ‘t Noordende, CEO of Randstad, said: “As a member of the LGBTQI+ community, I’ve seen throughout my career the positive strides companies have taken to create more inclusive and equitable workplaces, but the journey is not over. A concerning proportion of LGBTQI+ workers are still facing discrimination and experience consequences on their career progression due to just being themselves.

“Business leaders have a responsibility to continue to make improvements. They need to take actions that lead to meaningful change and increase the feeling of belonging in the workplace. Workers consistently tell us that the ability to be themselves at work means that they feel more productive, motivated and can reach their full potential at work.

“In a talent-scarce world of work, companies need to attract and retain their best talent more than ever. It’s not just the right thing to do, it also makes good business sense.”

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Randstad made three recommendations for employers to improve LGBTQ+ inclusion:

  1. empower employee-driven groups and ensure that all initiatives are grounded in the real experience of employees
  2. instil a culture of respect and empathy that recognises and respects the diverse range of experiences LGBTQ+ workers, rather than perceiving them as “others” or defining them solely by their gender or sexual orientation
  3. promote “authentic allyship” throughout the year, not only during Pride Month.

Latest HR job opportunities on Personnel Today


Browse more human resources jobs

Ashleigh Webber

Ashleigh is a former editor of OHW+ and former HR and wellbeing editor at Personnel Today. Ashleigh's areas of interest include employee health and wellbeing, equality and inclusion and skills development. She has hosted many webinars for Personnel Today, on topics including employee retention, financial wellbeing and menopause support.

previous post
Skills ‘bootcamps’ to tackle unemployment
next post
Pay awards and inflation continue to diverge

You may also like

Finance professionals expect less emphasis on ESG and...

18 Jun 2025

Lack of role models a ‘barrier’ for people...

17 Jun 2025

Pride 2025: why corporate allyship still matters

16 Jun 2025

HR is second ‘most sexist profession’ survey suggests

13 Jun 2025

Racism claims have tripled and ‘Equality Act is...

12 Jun 2025

Fewer workers would comply with a return-to-office mandate

21 May 2025

Redefining leadership: From competence to inclusion

21 May 2025

Consultation launched after Supreme Court ‘sex’ ruling

20 May 2025

EHRC bows to pressure and extends gender consultation

15 May 2025

Culture, ‘micro-incivilities’ and invisible talent

14 May 2025

  • AI is here. Your workforce should be ready. SPONSORED | From content creation...Read more
  • Preparing for a new era of workforce planning (webinar) WEBINAR | Employers now face...Read more
  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+