A survey by the TUC has found that over a third (36 per cent) of LGBT people have been bullied or harassed at work. The survey of more than five thousand LGBT people also found that just over half (51 per cent) were prepared to be open about their sexuality in their workplace, whilst a just under a quarter (23 per cent) said they had been ‘outed’ without their consent.
The survey also showed the reluctance on the part of LGBT employees who had experienced harassment or bullying to report it, with nearly 60% saying they had not done so. Only 12% said they had reported it to HR. Amongst those who had reported an issue, only a third felt it had been properly resolved and a fifth believed they had suffered later on because they had made a complaint.
As a result of the findings the TUC is urging employers to take a “zero tolerance” attitude to such harassment and bullying, to make equality training mandatory for all employees, and to review HR procedures to make sure complaints are dealt with seriously and as quickly as possible.
