One in ten LGBT employees are bullied at work, a shocking survey reveals.
The survey, conducted by CV-Library, found that 11.7 per cent of UK workers have been bullied because of their sexual identity.
The survey also found that 15.4 per cent of UK workers have witnessed a colleague being subject to homophobic bullying.
The survey also asked whether LGBT employees were open about their sexuality at work, with 71.3 per cent confirming they were. Over a third of respondents said that they felt pressure to be open about their sexuality, while one in ten said that their employer doesn’t actively support LGBT diversity in the workplace.
Despite the research revealing high figures of bullying, 59.1 per cent of those that took part in the survey said that their employer doesn’t have, or they are not aware of, any anti-discrimination policies in the workplace.
Nearly 30 per cent also said that they didn’t feel confident enough to report homophobic bullying in the workplace.
Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library, said, “It’s positive to see that so many professionals feel they can be open with their co-workers and managers in regards to their sexual orientation, but they should only share this information, if they feel comfortable doing so.”
“That said, it’s concerning to learn that so many are being affected by discrimination and bullying because of this and businesses need to ensure they take a zero-tolerance approach to this sort of behaviour, or intimidation of any kind.”
Biggins continued, “It’s important that all businesses have anti-discrimination policies in place, and that staff are aware of the consequences should they breach these policies.”
“Not only this, but it’s vital that you create a culture where staff feel confident and safe reporting anything they experience themselves, or that they witness, when it comes to discriminatory and unacceptable behaviour at work.”
