Heading into the world of work for the first time is a big step for any young person. But imagine if you felt that you had to hide your true self to not only get a job but also to avoid suffering prejudice and bullying once you have found one. Sadly, that is the reality for many young adults from the LGBT+ community.
A recent documentary on Channel 5 revealed that a third of LGBTQ+ young adults (18-25 years old) hide their sexuality at work to get a job or to prevent bullying once in a job. Let’s explore why this might be happening and what employers can do to make their diverse employees feel safe to be themselves.
Going Back Into The Closet
According to research by LGBT+ young people’s charity Just Like Us, a quarter (25%) of the LGBT+ young adults surveyed said they went back into the closet when they started work. Worryingly, the research also revealed that one in five (19%) of LGBT+ young adults had experienced bullying in the workplace, compared to 14% of non-LGBT+ young adults.
LGBT+ young adults who have chosen to come out of the closet may have already come up against enormous challenges to do so, such as dealing with backlash from family and friends or overcoming the fear of physical violence.
There are many reasons why young people may decide to go back into the closet once they start working. For some, uncertainty around how their sexuality will affect their career leads them to hide their authentic selves. Worries about not fitting in at work or being judged by colleagues can cause diverse employees to keep their sexuality to themselves.
Furthermore, if they have experienced bullying in the past, hiding their sexuality may make LGBT+ young adults feel safer at work.
Why Diversity In The Workplace Is Important?
Instilling a culture of equality and diversity in the workplace, where we feel comfortable being ourselves, is not just good for us as individuals; it’s good for businesses too. Equality and diversity are not just buzzwords – they are vital in creating a thriving work environment where the workforce is engaged and feels safe to be themselves.
Welcoming and supporting diverse employees has many benefits for a workplace. We all experience the world differently, which is why diversity in the workplace is vital for innovation. Bringing diverse employees from all walks of life together and allowing them to contribute new ideas will nearly always result in creative and unexpected solutions.
More importantly, though, a working environment where everyone feels safe and happy to be themselves creates a more engaged and productive workforce. A happy workforce means a more proactive and prosperous business.
How Do We Create Inclusive Workplaces?
Having a diverse workforce is essential for a business, but how do we go about creating inclusive workplaces? To create equality and diversity in the workplace, everyone in an organisation, from top to bottom, needs to understand how important diversity is. A clear and thorough equality and diversity workplace policy will outline what is expected of everyone when it comes to diversity, whether they be employees, managers or senior leaders.
Setting out what is (as well as what isn’t) acceptable in the workplace will help give LGBT+ young adults the confidence to be themselves at work and challenge any bullying or discrimination they may encounter as a result of their sexuality, knowing the organisation has their back.
Training and development can play a key role in instilling equality and diversity in the workplace. Making equality and diversity training part of the staff induction process means anyone joining the organisation gets the message straight away.
Summing Up
Diverse employees are an asset to any business, bringing innovative ideas and fresh perspectives. The fact that so many young people who identify as LGBT+ feel the need to hide who they truly are at work is both upsetting and worrying.
There is much that businesses can do to support their young LGBT+ employees, including implementing robust equality and diversity policies and ensuring everyone in the business understands why diversity is vital, not just in the workplace but in wider society too.
