Discrimination Against LGBT Employees Continues to Be a Serious Problem

According to a recent survey by UCLA’s Williams Institute, the four percent of the U.S. workforce that identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered (LGBT) continues to confront pervasive discrimination in the workplace, despite the fact that sexual orientation and gender self-perception have absolutely no effect on job performance.

The UCLA research uncovered the following disturbing facts concerning workplace discrimination against LGBT employees:

1. Twenty-one percent of LGBT employees have experienced discrimination in hiring practices, promotions and pay increases.
2. One out of every 25 complaints about workplace discrimination is made by a member of the LGBT community.
3. Many LGBT employees remain closeted at work, fearing they will damage relationships with coworkers or spoil their opportunities for advancement if they reveal their true identities.
4. Even LGBT employees who are high achievers report leaving their workplaces because they feel unwelcome. Almost ten percent of LGBT employees have left a job because the atmosphere was exclusionary.
5. As many as one-third of LGBT employees lie about their personal lives at work to avoid discrimination.
6. The problem is exponentially worse for transgendered people, 97 percent of whom report experiencing mistreatment on the job.

Every worker deserves a level playing field. Discrimination against LGBT employees is not only unfair but illegal. If you find yourself experiencing workplace discrimination, do not stand alone. Instead, engage the services of a highly competent employment attorney to fight for your rights.