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Who's out at work?

Out at Work: From Prejudice to Pride, a research project conducted jointly by the Diversity Council Australia and RMIT University and published in late 2018, presents evidence about what it means for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ+) to be out at work and what employers can do to make workplaces positive experiences for all workers.

Quote-left There is often a misconception in the straight community that ignoring is the same as accepting. But pretending not to see a difference is choosing not to understand difference, and heteronormativity becomes the default.

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Quote-left I’m extremely feminine so don’t appear to be queer. Everybody always says, 'Wow! You don’t look gay at all!' And that’s so hurtful, because there is no set look.

David Willis, NTEU

Quote-left Are you married’ is always a difficult question. I’ll say, ‘Well I have a partner’. And they’ll say’ What’s her name’ Then I’ll say, ‘It’s a he actually.’ And then there’s an awkward silence.

Why does being out at work matter? Concealing compromises wellbeing. LGBTIQ+ employees who are not out to everyone at work are: • Twice as likely to feel down as employees who are out to everyone at work. • 45% less likely to be satisfied with their job. Being out at work drives performance and job satisfaction. LGBTIQ+ employees who are out to everyone at work are: • 50% more likely to innovate than workers who are not out to everyone. • 35% more likely to work highly effectively in their team. • 28% more likely to provide excellent customer service/client service.

What enables being out at work? LGBTIQ+ people in organisations with strong LGBTIQ+ leadership were one and a half times as likely as workers with none, to be out at work. It’s more than policies, though. Workplace culture counts. LGBTIQ+ inclusion is a relatively new component of workplace diversity and inclusion despite anti-discrimination legislation providing legal protections for workers of diverse genders and sexualities for years. All workers deserve to feel treated equally at work, with dignity and respect. One research participant commented that his engagement to a same sex partner went unnoticed in his workplace but he was expected to contribute money to an engagement present for a heterosexual colleague. Another was told by a manager, 'I don’t mind if you’re gay. I’ll treat you like you’re normal.' Changing workplace culture to reflect inclusive practices has broken down some barriers in the workplace for LGBTIQ+ workers but Out at Work provides evidence on how important genuine inclusion is for LGBTIQ+ workers to stay safe, to feel welcome and to contribute their best at work.

Research results Staggering research results show that while 74% of LGBTIQ+ respondents said that it was important to them to be able to be out at work, only 32% were out to everyone with whom they work. Just 14% of workers with more than one LGBTIQ+ attribute (e.g. they may be transgender

Quote-left My workplace is very inclusive so I feel comfortable being out at work. It works for me and for my organisation, as I don’t waste energy and time mentally dancing around each interaction wondering, ‘Do I avoid it completely or risk coming out (yet) again?’ But I’m very conscious that I’m one of the fortunate few. For many LGBTIQ+ people bringing their full selves to work is just not realistic as the consequences are just too costly.

and gay) were out to everyone at work. 16% of bisexual workers were out to everyone at work and 28% of trans or gender diverse workers are out to no-one. There’s work to be done. Researchers drew on the work experiences of 1,600 LGBTIQ+ workers shared in focus groups, an online survey and extensive literature review. Their work sought to answer two questions: 1. Why do LGBTIQ+ individuals share or conceal their LGBTIQ+ identity or status at work? 2. What can Australian organisations do to make their workplace a safe and inclusive place for LGBTIQ+ workers to be themselves? The research found that a large proportion of LGBTIQ+ workers are still not comfortable being themselves at work. Homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and intolerance of gender diversity is the lived reality for many Australian workers. Workplace invisibility, harassment, gender misrepresentations, language that excludes and quiet allies in workplaces are experiences reported by the research participants. The research found that concealing diverse gender and sexuality in the workplace compromises individual wellbeing and affects performance. The study found that LGBTIQ+ employees who are not out to everyone at work are twice as likely to feel down compared with employees who are out to everyone at work, and 45% less likely to be satisfied with their job. LGBTIQ+ employees who are out to everyone at work, the study found, are 50% more likely to innovate than workers who are not out to everyone, 35% more likely to work highly effectively in their teams and 28% more likely to provide excellent customer service.

Six talents for creating inclusive work cultures The researcher’s concluded that while workplace policies and strategies recognising the specific needs of and sometimes just the existence of LGBTIQ+ workers are important it’s workplace culture that counts. Genuine and bold leadership is critical to foster this culture. The researchers offered six solutions, or ‘talents’, for creating inclusive work cultures that enable real choices about being out at work.

Each 'talent’ offered by the researchers is accompanied by strategies to achieve it. Many of these are obvious, but not that common in workplaces: 1. Making LGBTIQ+ visible. Celebrating ‘diversity’ days for LGBTIQ+ people, rainbow flags, Pride and Ally groups, gender neutral bathrooms and being visible in public 2. Understanding diversity of LGBTIQ+ people. Thinking about inclusion from three spheres: sexual orientation, gender identity/expression and intersex issues, recognising that people may have more than one LGBTIQ+ attribute. 3. Having courage to ‘call it’. Make complaints process clear and fair, have zero tolerance for sexual harassment, be bold and call out homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, develop common understanding about language use. 4.Using inclusive language. Use resources to help be inclusive, review workplace forms, use correct pronouns. 5. Disrupting assumptions. Conduct inclusive training, don’t out someone without their permission, know that LGBTIQ+ people may also be parents. 6. Being in it together. Work collaboratively with LGBTIQ+workers but don’t speak on their behalf, allies should include senior leaders (be in it together).

While NTEU members proudly contribute to making workplaces positive places to be for their LGBTIQ+ colleagues many will be surprised to learn that university campuses remain workplaces that are not always safe or welcoming for LGBTIQ+ staff. ◆

Quote-left It’s always the same people who have to point things out. We need to recognise that the burden has to be shared by allies.

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