Results of Prospect’s LGBT+ Survey 2024 

Our LGBT+ Network recently conducted our 2024 survey about being LGBT+ at work. There have clearly been some positive steps made but discrimination remains, showing the importance of our work as a network.

We received 239 responses from members and non-members. 

80% of respondents did feel able to be out at work, suggesting an inclusive environment for LGBT+ workers in the majority of workplaces. However, respondents identifying as bisexual were still less likely to be ‘out’ at work than LG&T respondents. 

Harassment at work

Overall, 31% of respondents also said that they had experienced or witnessed bullying/harassment because of their LGBT+ status or gender identity. This ranged from 31% Trans, 30% non-binary, 35% gay, and 40% of lesbian respondents reporting that they had experienced or witnessed bullying/harassment. 

How does that harassment take place? In the past year: 

• 4% had been asked to behave or present as ‘less queer’ in the workplace.
• 20% of respondents had experienced offensive/unwanted comments about their sexuality, body, appearance, or gender identity.
• 40% had had assumptions made about them based on their sexuality, gender identity, or appearance. 
• 40% had to correct a coworker, client or leadership about their sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or pronouns. 
• 51% of respondents said they had experienced depression or anxiety. 

Disability

38% of respondents reported that they see themselves as both LGBT+ and as having a disability. One of the actions that people wished to see coming out of this survey was greater links and intersectionality awareness between staff/union networks, so this is something we’ll take forward at Prospect.

The positives

While worrying trends continue, there was some positive feedback: 

• 78% either agreed or strongly agreed that working with LGBT+ colleagues made them feel more comfortable. 
• 70% of people did not feel discriminated against at work. 
• 45% of people believed that their industry was taking positive steps to be more inclusive (with a further 24% neither agreeing nor disagreeing). This does show that we still need to work with employers to raise LGBT+ awareness and inclusivity. Trans respondents felt that the least progress had been made in regard to inclusion, with 42% of them saying that their industry was not taking effective action to be inclusive. 

Respondents also reported: 

• Seeing an increase in gender neutral bathrooms (66% noticed an increase) 
• 44% people noticed an increase in policies in place to uplift and support LGBT+ staff. 
• More training being offered around sexuality, gender identity, or trans+ inclusion (55% noticed an increase)

More LGBT+ staff networks were also reported.

What are the barriers that need challenging?

The biggest barriers in the workplace that that the survey respondents noted were: 

• 78% cited a lack of diversity and representation in senior grades and leadership teams. 
• 43% noted a lack of action by employers to support LGBT+ inclusion in workplaces. 
• 41% noted a culture of discrimination and bias in their workplace. 

This shows that branches still need to work with employers to support LGBT+ colleagues in the workplace and challenge and change inappropriate workplace cultures that exist today.  

Pronouns

9% of people said that they did not use their preferred pronouns at work, with a further 8% only using their preferred pronouns with close colleagues. This figure rose to 17% of non-binary respondents not using their preferred pronouns at work, with a further 26% only using their preferred pronouns around close colleagues. 

49% of people who, if they needed to change their name and/or pronouns at work during a job, found that their employer had been supportive. 

Health and safety

19% of respondents reported that if they had to travel abroad for work their employer did not flag the risks they may face of travelling/working in countries deemed unfriendly or unsafe for LGBT+ people. 

However, 43% of people did report that they always felt safe travelling to work as an LGBT+ person, with 49.7% people reporting that they felt safe most of the time. These figures were matched across all parts of the LGBT+ community.  

What next for Prospect’s LGBT+ network?

At the end of the survey, we asked what people wanted to see the network do more of. The results broadly fell into the following areas: 

• More trans inclusion and support 
• Greater asexuality awareness and support 
• Create template policies that branches can use to aid in LGBT+ inclusion in the workplace. 
• More cross-network collaboration and greater intersectionality awareness and work 

We will take these thoughts forward with the network and push for progress for our LGBT+ members. 

Rob Lauder is a Prospect organiser