UK workplaces letting down LGBT+ women, concludes recruiter survey

LGBT+ women are the most unsatisfied group when discussing pay, progression and the workplace in general, according to the findings of a survey by recruitment firm, Robert Walters.

In a survey of 6,000 professionals, the recruiter found LGBT+ women are the most likely cohort to be living ‘paycheque-to-paycheque’ (18%), are 10% less likely to be promoted than their queer male counterparts, and lack the most confidence in the workplace when it comes to asking for pay rises or promotions.

Commenting on the findings, published at the start of Lesbian Visibility Week (24th to 30th April), Robert Walters’ director, Lucy Bisset said:

“We have been carrying out this research annually for three years now, and whilst there are some improvements to be celebrated – we continue to see the presence of negative experiences of minority or marginalised groups in the workplace.

“The dial has been pushed on gender pay transparency – but this report highlights a more concerning issue that for LGBTQi+ women, it appears to be much harder for them to even approach the idea of negotiating for a better salary or a promotion.

“These differences cannot go on, and in light of Lesbian Visibility Week I urge all employers to start diving deeper into the experiences of LGBTQi+ professionals in the workplace.”

55% of women who identify as LGBT+ state that their pay is not a fair representation of the work they do – over 10% more than LGBT+ men (43%) and heterosexual men (42%).

When analysing salaries, more than double the number of straight (30%) and LGBT+ men (26%) earn above £55k according to the Robert Walters report – compared to just 11% of LGBT+ women who are in this salary bracket.

Beyond pay, when asked about the main challenges they face in their career, LGBT+ women stated; a lack of opportunities (28%), training and development offered to them (25%), as well as a lack of diversity in management or senior positions (14%) as the primary factors holding them back. An alarming quarter of LGBT+ women also reported experiencing workplace discrimination surrounding their identity, versus just 11% of LGBT+ men who stated the same.

The Robert Walters report concluded that in-spite of record levels of financial investment and human resource being put into diversity & inclusion strategies, a fifth of LGBTQi+ women report that their organisation fails to have initiatives to help them feel part of a connected community of colleagues – higher than any other sexual orientation.

Coral Bamgboye, Head of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Robert Walters Group, added:

“It would be amiss of me to not admit that we ourselves at Robert Walters are on our own journey of improving everything surround equality, diversity & inclusion.

“Much like ourselves and the setting up of multiple D&I councils and working-groups around the world, our goal is to first hear what our LGBTQi+ professionals have to say and to get them involved in the solution.

“Hesitation or fear on this matter from employers won’t serve to shift the dial on some of the shocking statistics featured in this report.”

Statistics used were provided from Robert Walters annual report on Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace, surveying 6,000 professionals across the UK and Ireland – 1,000 of the respondents identified as LGBTQ+. The full report can be read online here: Diversity & Inclusion Strategy Report – A Focus on Gender & LGBTQi+ Equality.