Progress slow in building LGBT “inclusive-workplaces”
Chartered Management Institute
Only half (52%) of managers surveyed report that their employer collects data or sets targets on sexual orientation, and 3 in 5 managers surveyed have never received any training on building LGBT-inclusive workplaces, says the CMI.
New research from the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) shows slow progress in building LGBT-inclusive workplaces. A recent survey of over 1,000 CMI managers across the UK shows that whilst the majority of those surveyed report their businesses collect data or set targets on gender and ethnicity, only around half do so on sexual orientation: around 7 in 10 managers surveyed report that their employer collects data or set targets on gender (70%) and ethnicity (68%), but only around half (52%) report that their employer monitors or sets targets on sexual orientation.
There are many actions organisations can take to build an LGBT-inclusive culture and support LGBT staff. The latest CMI research, however, suggests that most businesses still have work to do:
- less than half (46%) of all managers surveyed are aware that their employer has an LGBT inclusion policy in place. This falls to 30% of managers in the private sector and 27% of managers in SMEs;
- only 39% of managers surveyed have received training to support them in building LGBT-inclusive workplaces. This falls to 27% of managers in SMEs and 27% in the private sector; and
- only 38% of managers surveyed report having an LGBT senior-level champion. This falls to 22% of managers in the private sector and 13% of SMEs.
Rob Wall, Head of Policy at CMI said:
"With less than half of all managers reporting that their employer has an LGBT inclusion policy in place, falling to under a third of managers in the private sector, there is clearly a lot of progress needed in many UK workplaces.
"As with all areas of business, CMI knows that if you don't measure it, you won't manage it. Organisations need to start by collecting data to understand their LGBT employees and to identify any barriers they face.
"The role of line managers in building inclusive workplaces is critical, and they need to be equipped and empowered to support LGBT team members and to call out bad practice. At the same time senior leaders need to be visible as LGBT champions. Without this, equality will remain an aspiration"
