Coming Out at Work: The Barriers and the Benefits

There is sometimes a perception that, in 2022, coming out is no longer a “big deal.” Pride is now a global celebration each June, and the LGBTQIA+ community has seen increasing representation in mainstream culture.

While we have made huge strides in LGBTQIA+ visibility over the last few decades, some areas are still tricky for LGBTQIA+ people to navigate — and the workplace is often one of them.

Although many countries prohibit employment discrimination based on gender and sexuality, some LGBTQIA+ employees still struggle with the decision to come out at work. At the same time, research shows that people who are out in the workplace are happier and more satisfied with their jobs.

So what is preventing some LGBTQIA+ employees from enjoying the benefits of being out in their jobs? And how can employers support and uplift LGBTQIA+ staff not just during Pride Month, but all year round?

The barriers to being out in the workplace

Employment discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people can begin with the job application itself. In the US, employers are more likely to look unfavorably on resumés from visibly out candidates. Over 40% of LGBTQIA+ workers say they have been treated unfairly at work, including being fired or not hired because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Many successful job candidates go on to encounter prejudice and ignorance in the office. In 2019, 21% of LGBTQIA+ Europeans reported experiencing workplace discrimination. These figures jump considerably among transgender people — 90% reported experiencing harassment at work or hiding their identities to avoid it.

According to a 2018 Human Rights Campaign report, 46% of LGBTQIA+ employees in the United States say they’re closeted in their professional lives. The main reasons for this included the possibility of being stereotyped, making other employees uncomfortable, and losing their connections with coworkers.

All of this contributes to LGBTQIA+ people feeling isolated, uncomfortable, and unable to fully contribute at work.

The benefits of being out at work

There is no doubt that feeling unable to be yourself impacts how you view your workplace and the job you do. According to a study by the Center for Work-Life Policy, LGBTQIA+ employees “who are out flourish at work, while those who are in the closet languish or leave.” 52% of closeted employees feel stalled in their careers, compared to 36% of those who are out.

Workers who are out are significantly more satisfied with their jobs, enthusiastic about their roles, and proud of their work. In general, LGBTQIA+ people who are out experience increased emotional and physical well-being — and for transgender people, gender-affirming care can be life-saving.

That’s not to mention the sense of community that comes from being open with your colleagues. LGBTQIA+ allies play a huge role in forming this open community — around 24% of LGBTQIA+ workers attribute their decision to come out professionally to the support of workplace allies.

Creating a workplace that is welcoming and inclusive of LGBTQIA+ people benefits all staff members in turn. Companies with inclusive policies see an increase in employee engagement, retention, and morale.

What employers can do to support LGBTQIA+ staff

It’s a myth that LGBTQIA+ employees come out just once at work — it happens over and over again with each new colleague, manager, or client. Here’s how organizations can make the process easier for their LGBTQIA+ employees:

Create policies for inclusion: Include LGBTQIA+ employees in inclusion and anti-discrimination policies, and ensure they are represented in other policies like parental leave, adoption, and pension benefits.
Actively communicate these policies: Make it very clear that discrimination and harassment will not be tolerated. Model respect for employees’ identities and use inclusive language.
Build support networks for employees: Network groups can transform LGBTQIA+ people’s experience at work. Take Wrike as an example — Wrike With Pride is an employee resource community for LGBTQIA+ Wrikers and allies to meet, chat, and support each other. As four Wrike employees explain in this article, Wrike With Pride helped them feel immediately connected to the LGBTQIA+ community at the company.
Lead from a place of compassion: No one will get it right 100% of the time. Consider “calling in” instead of “calling out” — the latter assumes all harmful comments are malicious, while the former encourages conversation and changes in behavior.
Encourage allyship: It shouldn’t be up to LGBTQIA+ employees alone to champion inclusion. Encourage all employees to show their support, whether that’s by displaying their pronouns in their Slack profiles or attending Pride events as allies. This shows that inclusion is something everyone can act on — and makes it easier for employees who aren’t ready to come out at work.

Coming out at work can be nerve-racking, but the rewards range from increased job satisfaction to an all-important sense of community. Of course, it’s not as simple as that, and not everyone will feel safe or comfortable coming out at work. But in continuing to build inclusive workplaces where every employee can thrive, we create spaces where more and more LGBTQIA+ employees feel free to be themselves.

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The past 18 months of increased remote work have made us all question what we want from our office culture – from whether a commute is really necessary to whether the "increased productivity" it creates is actually just a facade. After all, as The Washington Post reports, up to 80% of US workers are as productive (if not more productive) when they work from home. This period has also made us question whether some aspects of ‘office culture’ can actually be quite detrimental to equality in the workplace. One of those aspects is the arbitrary division of certain tasks by gender that often go unrewarded. A recent article by Nieman Labs explained it is not your female colleagues’ job to buy you cake. Let us explain. In your office, who tends to organize the leaving cards, the birthday cakes, or even the Secret Santa? As the Harvard Business Review outlines, unfortunately, these tend to be carried out by women, and are what they call “non-promotable tasks.” Not only are women more likely to volunteer for these kinds of tasks, but they are also more likely to be asked to do them, and to say yes when asked. As this report details, taking these tasks on (and indeed, saying no to them) tends to have a negative impact on their career prospects, and ultimately, increase gender inequality in the workplace. And as one study published in the American Sociological Review found, although women are more likely to be described as "helpful" or "community-oriented" in their performance evaluations, this was not associated with receiving the highest performance rating (for men or women). The simple solution? These tasks need to be divided at a management level, or as Niemen Labs puts it, “managers buy the cakes.” So, why can gender roles in the workplace be so detrimental? This expectation at work is especially detrimental when you account for what sociologists refer to as “the second shift” of extra household duties that many working women must complete after work each day. As a recent article by Vox explains, although women may be more likely to want to work from home than men, they have a harder time doing so. Women (and especially mothers) working from home tend to report higher rates of stress, depression, and hours clocked. “In other words, women need more flexible work arrangements, because women have more to do.” Of course, not eradicating supposed gender roles at work can also have a negative impact on men. One of these destructive gender stereotypes is that men should prioritize work over family. As Thekla Morgenroth, a research fellow in Social and Organisational Psychology at the University of Exeter, told the BBC: “Men who do take parental leave can therefore face backlash and be seen as weak, lacking work commitment and so on, which can result in consequences at work such as being demoted or not taken seriously. Men are, of course, aware of these potential consequences, and this could definitely contribute to them deciding against taking parental leave even if it's offered.” How do we tackle that? Sarah Forbes, a researcher at Birmingham University Business School, suggests visible “fatherhood champions” at companies, both to inspire fathers to take leave and improve their knowledge of leave provisions. Calculating the cost of gender inequality in the workplace Unfortunately, the nature of discrimination tends to be cross-sectional, meaning that Black women don’t just have to contend with gender discrimination at work; they also may experience racial discrimination. For example, The Guardian reports that Black women in the US have to work 19 months to earn what white men earn in one year. In fact, Black women are only paid 63c to every dollar that non-Hispanic white men earn, equating to a potential loss of $946,000 over a lifetime. To combat this, the report iterates performing regular pay audits and creating a plan to address significant pay gaps for employees with similar roles and experience but who may differ only by race or gender. Building equality and inclusivity into workplace language There are other powerful ways we can target gender inequality in the workplace for a better division of what The Financial Times calls ‘office housework.’ One of these is the role of language and how gender-coded language can affect employees. According to the BBC, as we tend to associate particular language and behaviors with particular genders (‘agentic’ with male and ‘communal’ with female), using this language in job advertisements can put off great candidates from applying for particular roles. John Fiset, of Canada’s Saint Mary’s University, shares an example of the two from actual job posts: Communal: “We’ll support you with the tools and resources you need to reach new milestones as you help our customers reach theirs.” Agentic: “Tell us your story. Don’t go unnoticed. Explain why you’re a winning candidate.” It’s a simple adjustment to make but a powerful one. One so powerful that behavioral designer Kat Matfield created an online tool called Gender Decoder so you can check your job descriptions for subtle gender bias. What each person can do to tackle gender inequality in the workplace Each day, there are simple steps each of us can take to strive for better equality in the workplace. These include (but are not limited to): End imposter syndrome: Have direct conversations with employees about perceived inadequacies and what you can do about them, have empathy and share your own experiences. Take time to understand the biases that women (particularly women of color) may encounter and see what you can do to tackle these. Be an ally for female employees: Share your time generously with female colleagues and be available for impromptu support. Ensure you make an effort to share their wins and to be heard in meetings. Finally, make an effort to ensure office housework is evenly distributed and normalize saying “no” if not. As our workplaces evolve post-pandemic, it’s time to leave antiquated ideas of gender roles behind and promote equal pay, less burnout, and equal time with our children. It is the perfect opportunity to do what we can to tackle gender inequality in the workplace once and for all.

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Wondering how to promote diversity in the workplace? Here’s everything you need to know about diversity management and the benefits of diversity in the workplace.

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Coming Out at Work: The Barriers and the Benefits

The barriers to being out in the workplace

The benefits of being out at work

What employers can do to support LGBTQIA+ staff

Valerie Loftus

Coming Out at Work: The Barriers and the Benefits

The barriers to being out in the workplace

The benefits of being out at work

What employers can do to support LGBTQIA+ staff

Valerie Loftus

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The Wrike LGBTQIA+ Community Shares Their Experiences of Being Out at Work

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How To Promote Diversity in the Workplace

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