Who’s listening to LGBT+ employees?

Who’s listening to LGBT+ employees?

Around 20% of workplaces have no policy in place to support LGBT+ employees, claims a new TUC sur-vey carried out in time for Pride month (July).

Less than half of the 1,000 HR decision-makers said they had clear guidelines for reporting concerns about discrimination. Meanwhile, 15% agreed they had needed to deal with a discrimination case in-volving one or more LGBT+ employees.

A world of difference

51% said they had a policy that prohibited LGBT+ discrimination, bullying and harassment — but only 34% had reviewed the policy in the last year (and 28% that they couldn’t remember when the policy was last updated). Fewer than half those HR professionals surveyed said that family policies around adoption, maternity/paternity and shared parental leave applied equally to LGBT+ employees.

Only 13% monitored the pay gap – estimated by the TUC to be around 16%, meaning that LGBT+ staff earn £6,703 less than their non-LGBT+ peers.

In response, the TUC has called for the Government to legislate to introduce a new duty for employers to “protect all workers from harassment by customers and clients”, along with providing statutory pay gap reporting.

EAPs always listening

EAPA UK chair Eugene Farrell said: “Pride month is an opportunity for communities and employers to show their solidarity and support. But what does that mean in practice? Fair and equal treatment in terms of pay and people policies should be a given.

“There’s also the question, though, of everyday conversations and issues, the little incidents that make LGBT+ employees feel uncomfortable and isolated. The ways in which LGBT+ lives can be more complicated than non-LGBT+, and it’s not always easy or possible to talk to managers without making a big-ger issue of things. That’s when EAPs and confidential advice from a professional becomes such a valuable source of advice and reassurance.”