A new study has revealed that the majority of LGBTQ+ employees in the American workforce report feeling marginalized, lonely, misunderstood, or excluded at work.
The Report From EduBirdie
The initial report was made by EduBirdie, an online academic platform that offers writing assistance, including essay writing services, research paper help, and other academic support.
Lonely at Work
The findings found that 70 percent of LGBTQ+ people feel “lonely, misunderstood, marginalized or excluded at work.”
Career Progression
The report also asked LGBTQ+ employees if they felt their identity negatively impacted their career progression and found that 59% of those surveyed felt this was.
Leaving Your Job
They also found that LGBTQ+ employees may have a higher turnover rate since 44% of those surveyed said they left a job due to the discrimination they faced in the workplace.
Missing Promotions
There were also hints of systemic issues within promotion practices since nearly half (45%) of those surveyed felt they had been passed over for promotions because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Exacerbating Problems
15% of respondents also reported that HR departments do not properly address discrimination incidents, which could exacerbate feelings of exclusion and marginalization.
A Widespread Issue
At the same time, 63% of LGBTQ+ individuals have faced some form of discrimination at work, showing a widespread issue that spans across different industries and job roles.
Imposter Syndrome
Many respondents also reported feeling imposter syndrome at work, a psychological pattern where people doubt their accomplishments and fear they are not qualified for their position.
Diversity Hire
Nearly half of all respondents said they felt imposter syndrome at work because they fear that they only have their position because they were the companies, “diversity hire.”
Underrepresented Within the Company
If you are unaware, a diversity hire is a candidate who’s main reason for getting hired was to increase the representation of underrepresented groups within a company or organization.
Diversifying Business
As the need for diversity within businesses has become more common within larger orginizations, more members of minority groups are being hired.
Remaining Unsure
However, with increasing demand for a diverse staff within business, this leaves minority representatives in a position where they are unsure if they got their job thanks to merit or simply their identity.
Avoiding Corporate Events
45% of LGBTQ+ employees also said they avoid corporate events due to their discomfort which only leads to further isolation and missed networking opportunities.
Blending in at Work
At the same time, more than half (51%) of LGBTQ+ employees alter their appearance to blend in, highlighting the extent they must go through in order to blend in.
Can’t Come Out
When asked if they feared coming out at work would lead to discrimination, 30% of the respondents felt coming out would lead to a more hostile work environment.
Forced Out the Closet
While almost a third of respondents fear coming out at work, 40% said they had their sexual orientation or gender identity revealed at work without their consent.
The Biggest Challenges
Avery Morgan, EduBirdie’s chief communications officer, stated, “One of the biggest challenges businesses should be aware of is avoiding tokenism and appearing inauthentic in their actions.”
Psychological Insights
Psychologist Dr. Jenna Brownfield was consulted in the study and highlighted how LGBTQ+ employees must navigate workplace politics carefully in order to balance the risks of revealing their identity against potential career impacts.
Will Liked by Supervisors
Dr. Brownfield said, “A lot of the politics at work are about being well-liked by your supervisors and colleagues.”
Increasing Leadership
Dr Brownfield went on to say increasing the number of LGBTQ+ individuals in leadership roles is crucial because, “The more that LGBTQ+ employees are part of steering company culture… the more you’ll develop a genuinely inclusive workplace.”
The post New Study Revealed Most LGBTQ+ Employees Feel Excluded at Work first appeared on Pulse of Pride.
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For transparency, this content was partly developed with AI assistance and carefully curated by an experienced editor to be informative and ensure accuracy.
