Sexual orientation in the workplace

Overview

Lesbian, gay and bisexual people (LGB) make up around 5-7% of the UK population. Research shows that coming out at work can help LGB workers to feel confident at work, have happier work experiences and improve productivity. Research also shows that LGB people are put off coming out because of fears about career progression, lack of visible senior LGB employees, negative experiences of harassment and work environments where homophobic jokes and harassment may be the norm. They report that they are encouraged to come out by equal opportunities policies, same sex benefits, positive employer and trade union signals, the existence of LGB support groups and LGB senior managers.

What do I need to know?

The  Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations introduced in 2003 made it illegal to discriminate against an individual either directly or indirectly, during employment or training on the basis of sexual orientation. On top of this, it is illegal to treat individuals less favourably on the basis of their perceived sexual orientation or the groups they associate with.

The  Civil Partnership Act came into force in December 2004 and has given gay and lesbian couples the opportunity to make a legal commitment which grants them the same rights and responsibilities as heterosexual married couples, including next-of-kin, tax and pension rights.

The term ‘transgender’ is a broad term used to describe people whose lifestyles appear to conflict with the gender 'norms' of society. While traditionally trans people have been grouped with lesbians, gay and bisexual people, using the acronym LGBT, this has predominantly been for political purposes to raise awareness of issues. Information about transgender can be found in the Gender section of the website.