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Gay and
lesbian workers 'afraid to come out'
15 May 2007- UK-
Almost one half of all gay and lesbian employees in Britain are afraid
to come out at work, a new survey suggests.
According to the poll, many gay workers still hide their sexual
orientation from their colleagues because of fears that they will be
discriminated against or harassed if they are open about their
sexuality.
Conducted by specialist gay marketing consultancy, Out Now Consulting,
the report calls on bosses to outline what is deemed acceptable and
unacceptable behaviour and examine equal opportunities policies closely.
The
study indicates that up to one in ten gay men and one in eight lesbians
face workplace harassment because of their sexual orientation, affecting
skills retention, recruitment and productivity.
Released following the
surprise resignation of BP chief Lord Browne over his admission that he
had lied about a gay relationship, the survey indicates that Britain
still has a long way to go before discrimination and homophobia are
eradicated from UK workplaces.
Out Now Consulting CEO,
Ian Johnson, said: "Lord Browne of BP feeling compelled to 'work in the
closet' is far from alone. Out Now's research for Diva and GT shows that
there are many hundreds of thousands of UK workers in a similar
position… Heterosexual people don't experience the same pressures to
conceal such a major aspect of themselves at work."
New legislation introduced
under the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003
states that discrimination and harassment of employees on the grounds of
sexual orientation is unlawful. |
