Survey Shows Coming Out at Work Still a Concern for LGBTQ+ Community
Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that individuals are protected from job discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. In 2021, more companies than ever have committed to having more inclusive policies, practices and benefits for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and other queer employees and applicants. Still, however, bringing your authentic self to work can feel uncertain and confusing.
Indeed surveyed members of the LGBTQ+ community about the implications of coming out at work to learn more.¹ In this article, we share our key takeaways, including why 67% of respondents said that remote culture and social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic has made it more difficult to come out at work.
Related: How to Talk About Race, Gender and Social Issues at Work
9 key takeaways from Indeed’s survey of LGBTQ+ employees
75% of our survey respondents say their company makes substantive changes based on employee feedback. With that at heart, here are the key takeaways we discovered in our survey:
Most LGBTQ+ people are out, happy and productive at work
Most respondents are already openly LGBTQ+ at work. Of the 491 people we surveyed, 68% are open about their gender identity and/or sexual orientation within their workplace. Of those, 72% came out at work within the past three years (including 39% who came out in the past year, after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic), suggesting that recent civil rights progress may be helping individuals feel more protected. Another 24% of respondents are not openly LGBTQ+ at work, but indicated they might be willing to share with all or some colleagues in the future.
Moreso, our LGBTQ+ respondents — out or not — say they feel productive (90%), safe (88%) and happy (87%) at work. They feel valued by both their team (86%) and their supervisor (85%).
Reasons vary for those who don’t want to be openly LGBTQ+ at work
While many employers are working to make their companies a safe space for employees to be open about their gender identity and sexual orientation, 8% of respondents are not openly LGBTQ+ at work and don’t wish to be. Their reasoning varies:
- 46% said it’s not relevant/not anyone’s business
- 40% worry they could face discrimination from their boss
- 39% fear it will be detrimental to their career
- 37% worry they could face discrimination from peers
- 32% fear they will be passed over for promotions
- 27% don’t want to potentially alienate coworkers
- 26% don’t want it to distract from their work
- 15% worry they could be fired
- 9% haven’t come out at work because they haven’t come out to anyone
LaFawn Davis, group vice president of Environmental, Social & Governance at Indeed, says that while it can be exhausting for people to hide their authentic selves from the professional world, it is sometimes still necessary. “I want everyone to be able to be out and proud, but it’s not always safe to do so — not just their physical safety, but also their emotional and mental well-being as well.”
For most people, remote work has made it more difficult to come out
While 24% of respondents said the switch to remote work did not affect their ability to come out at work, 9% said remote culture and social distancing actually made it easier to come out at work. For some, making vulnerable statements can feel easier from the safety of home, or when you can do so in writing or virtually behind a computer screen. Working remotely has also helped some transgender employees feel more confident as they transition away from team members.
Related: 4 Job Search Tips for Transgender and Non-Binary People
However, the majority (67%) of respondents agreed that remote culture and social distancing during the pandemic made it more difficult to come out at work. This may be the result of a combination of factors: Remote work doesn’t offer as many opportunities for personal relationships to build among colleagues, and others still might be unable to reveal their authentic selves in their home environment.
“Oftentimes, people within the community code-switch,” a process that in this context describes when LGBTQ+ individual changes how they speak, act and express themselves between personal and professional spaces. “It takes so much energy, so much emotional strength to do that,” Davis says.
Davis points out how problematic coming out at work has been for the LGBTQ+ individuals who have had to move back in with their parents or family members as a result of the pandemic: “When you code switch — when you have to be someone else or present as someone else — it really does impact your mental health. And now we’re in a space where it’s not just like walking into an office and do I come out, or do I not come out. Many of us are working from home, and that presents a different issue because you could be out at work and not out at home. Where can one be safe?”
