LGBT in Wales - Work

• A third of LGBT employees in Wales (34 per cent) hid or disguised that they are LGBT at work in the last year because they were afraid of discrimination
• Three in ten trans people (30 per cent) have been the target of negative comments or conduct from their work colleagues because of their identity
• One in four bi people (26 per cent) aren’t out to anyone at work

LGBT in Wales - Work Report is Stonewall Cymru's report based on YouGov research with over 800 LGBT employees, revealing troubling discrimination in Wales’s workplaces.

Key findings

• One in six LGBT employees (16 per cent) have been the target of negative comments or conduct from work colleagues in the last year because they are LGBT. Three in ten (30 per cent) of trans people experienced the same.
• One in four bi people (26 per cent) aren't open about their sexual orientation to anyone at work, compared to four per cent of gay and lesbian employees.
• A third of LGBT staff (34 per cent) hid or disguised that they are LGBT at work in the last year because they were afraid of discrimination.
• One in 10 lesbian, gay and bi employees (10 per cent) wouldn't feel confident reporting any homophobic or biphobic bullying to their employer. One in five trans people (18 per cent) wouldn't report transphobic bullying in the workplace.
• One in six LGBT staff (16 per cent) say they were excluded by colleagues in the last year for being LGBT, increasing to one in five trans employees (21 per cent).
• Almost one in five trans people (17 per cent) don't feel able to wear work attire representing their gender expression.

What respondents said

A customer, as they were leaving my counter, said, "He was a faggot, that's disgusting, I don't want to be served by him" loud enough to be heard by several people.  

Maddox, 35

I still feel pressure to keep quiet about my sexuality. I was working part-time over Christmas, and at least two colleagues made homophobic and transphobic remarks. I was too anxious and fearful of rejection to reprimand them or tell them that I was gay.

Milo, 30

The last four job interviews I've had have all thought it to be okay to ask when I am having my gender reassignment surgery and how long I would be taking off work when I did so, before turning me down for the job applied for. My last phone interview said that my retail skills were not good enough to fill the position of customer assistant even though I have 10 years of retail management experience.

Lynn, 41

What can you do

Find out about Stonewall’s workplace programmes, events and more.