Almost 50% Of LGBTQ Workers Have Faced Workplace Discrimination

On Behalf of | May 6, 2022 | Discrimination At Work

Many workers across Florida have faced one or more types of discrimination at work. Yet, if you identify as LGBTQ, the chance of you experiencing this type of treatment at some point during your career is even higher.

Per NBC News, 46% of LGBTQ workers across America have experienced employment discrimination at some point during their professional lives. Another 10% of the nation’s LGBTQ workers faced work-related discrimination at some point within the last year.

Statistics on employment discrimination

Research shows that almost 30% of LGBTQ workers across America have lost out on getting a job because of how they identify. Only about 8% of white workers said the same. Another 36% said they experienced verbal harassment at work because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. About one in five LGBTQ workers said they had experienced physical violence on the job, such as having coworkers or supervisors strike or punch them.

Examples of employment discrimination

Sometimes, workplace discrimination is clear and overt. Yet, in other instances, it may prove harder to identify. Sometimes, it manifests as your employer or supervisor denying you an earned promotion or demoting you to less favorable job duties. Other times, you might face discrimination if your coworkers or employers make inappropriate jokes about your gender identity or sexual preferences. Some LGBTQ workers also face discrimination in the form of their colleagues requesting sexual favors or harassing them electronically in a sexual manner.

LGBTQ and other victims of workplace discrimination have the right to call attention to the treatment they experience without fearing having their employers take retaliatory action against them.