Fact Service July 2022

Issue 27

One in five workplaces lacks LGBT+ policy


One in five (21%) workplaces still has no policy in place to support their LGBT workers, according to an online poll of 1,000 HR managers carried out for the TUC.


The survey also found that half (51%) of respondents have a policy prohibiting discrimination, bullying and harassment against LGBT+ workers in their workplace, while 47% said they have a clear reporting route for workers to raise concerns about such actions. One in seven (15%) managers said they had responded to bullying, harassment or discrimination against one or more LGBT+ workers. 


Only a quarter (25%) of managers said that they have a policy setting out support for trans (including non-binary) workers who wish to transition to live as another gender. 


Less than half (47%) said they have family policies (such as adoption, maternity, paternity and shared parental leave policies) that apply equally to LGBT+ workers. 


The TUC added that research suggests there is a 16% LGBT+ pay gap, meaning LGBT+ workers are effectively paid £6,703 less per year. But only one in eight (13%) of the workplaces surveyed currently monitors this pay gap. 


“Lesbian, gay, bi and trans people deserve to feel safe and to be respected at work,” TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said. “But it’s shocking so many workplaces don’t have specific policies in place to support their LGBT+ staff.”


https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/1-5-workplaces-do-not-have-any-policies-support-lgbt-staff-tuc-poll