An in-depth report has shed new light on the difficulties of being LGBT in the UK's workplaces.
The report by equal rights charity Stonewall found that during the last year, 18% of LGBT employees have been on the receiving end of negative comments or conduct from work colleagues simply because they're LGBT.
Shockingly, 12% of trans employees said they have been physically attacked by customers or colleagues during the last 12 months purely because they're trans.
The report also highlights the number of LGBT people who aren't "out" at work. Some 35% of the report's 3,213 respondents said they have hidden their LGBT identities at work for fear of encountering discrimination. A hefty 38% of bisexual employees said they're not out to anyone at all in their work lives.
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The report reveals, too, that workplace discrimination can intensify when an LGBT person belongs to an ethnic minority. While 4% of white LGBT people said they had lost a job in the last year because they're LGBT, this figure tripled to 12% among Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) LGBT people.
Workplace clothing also remains a major issue, the report found. Some 31% of non-binary respondents and 18% of trans respondents said they don't feel able to wear work attire that represents their gender identity.
Stonewall's chief executive Ruth Hunt said of the report's findings: “Over the past decade, leading employers across all sectors have shown a real commitment to inclusion and have taken positive steps towards LGBT equality.
“Unfortunately, the findings of our report show there’s still lots to do. The fact that more than a third of LGBT staff have hidden their identity at work for fear of discrimination shows that change is still very much needed.
“Creating a workplace that accepts everyone isn’t just the right thing to do, it makes good business sense. When staff feel comfortable and happy, they will perform much better than if they’re having to hide who they are."
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