The LGBT Workplace Experiences Study wants to know if you’ve experienced discrimination, bullying or harassment because of your sexual orientation or gender identity

This is a call out for LGBT people to participate in a new study entitled LGBT Workplace Experiences Study: An Irish Context.

Researchers from the University of Limerick are carrying out a study on being LGBT in the Irish workplace, and are looking for people to take part. International research shows that a high proportion of LGBT workers report experiencing discrimination in respect of hiring, job promotion, lower levels of pay to heterosexual counterparts, and harassment. Many LGBT employees still choose not to be ‘out’ in the workplace (34 percent in the UK and over 40 percent in the US), as they fear homophobia or being overlooked for promotion.

Transgender workers would appear to be particularly vulnerable to discrimination and there is a consistently high level of unemployment among members of the transgender community.

Research has also indicated that even in workplaces with strong policies on equal treatment, many LGBT employees still experience negative reactions from fellow employees due to a deep-rooted culture of heteronormativity. As a result LGBT employees may remain silent at work – even in situations where they should be reporting negative actions towards them.

Juliette McMahon and Sarah MacCurtain of UL are inviting LGBT people in Ireland to participate in con dential and anonymous interviews, exploring experiences within the workplace with a particular focus on experiences of harassment and discrimination, psychological safety as an LGBT employee within the workplace, and wider factors that differentiate between supportive and negative work environments for LGBT employees.

The NXF survey Burning Issues 2 highlighted some of the realities of LGBT people in the workplace, including the fact that 34% of Irish LGBT are not fully out at work.

In the October issue of GCN (Issue 322), Accenture employees shared their experiences of being out in the workplace and explained the positive impact that deciding to come out at work had for them.

If you are interested in participating in the study on your workplace experiences, please contact [email protected] or [email protected]