Occupational inclusion of the LGTBI+ community: data and measures

Diversity and inclusion are increasingly present aspects of business discourse. However, in the case of the LGTBI+ group, its application in the work environment remains uneven.

Although many organizations have started to promote initiatives related to LGTBI labor inclusion, data show that there are still significant barriers, both in access to employment and in daily life within companies.

Promote a work environment for the inclusive LGTBI community not only does it respond to a social question, but it also has a direct impact on the functioning of organizations. When people can show themselves as they are, their commitment, their well-being and their ability to provide value increase.

In this article, we analyze the current situation of labor inclusion of the LGTBI+ community, the main data on discrimination at work and the measures that companies can apply to move towards more equitable environments.

The reality of the LGTBI+ community in the work environment

Despite progress in visibility and rights, LGBTI discrimination at work is still present in many companies. It is not always expressed explicitly, but it does condition access to employment, the way in which people show themselves in their work environment and their professional development.

In many cases, LGTBI+ people continue to manage their identity at work with caution, reflecting that LGTBI labor inclusion is not yet a generalized reality.

What does the UGT report say: discrimination in numbers

The data from the UGT report give figures to this situation:

• El 90% of LGTBI people consider that their sexual orientation or gender identity is an inconvenience when it comes to finding employment.
• El 86.6% believe that it is necessary to hide it during the selection processes.
• Three out of four people have been afraid to reveal their orientation at work because of possible prejudice or retaliation.
• In the case of trans people, four out of ten claim to have been rejected in interviews for this reason.

Added to this is the daily work environment. According to the same report, a significant part of LGTBI workers report having suffered or witnessed situations such as disparaging comments, ridicule or discriminatory attitudes in their workplace.

Collective agreements: a protection that has not yet arrived

The lack of inclusion is also reflected in the labor framework. Only three out of ten collective agreements in Spain include specific protection clauses for LGBTI people.

This means that in most cases there are no concrete measures to prevent discrimination or to deal with situations of LGBTBIphobia at work. And when these clauses exist, in many cases they are limited to general statements without practical development.

The situation is especially worrying in the case of trans people. According to the UGT analysis, collective agreements do not include specific measures that address their needs or guarantee their protection in the workplace.

The problem of image whitening in companies

In recent years, many companies have incorporated the discourse on LGTBI+ diversity into their communication. However, it is not always accompanied by real changes in the organization.

It refers to what is commonly called image whitening: project an inclusive image to the outside world without implementing concrete measures that guarantee a work environment for the LGTBI community safe and equitable.

This translates into practices such as:

• Use of messages or campaigns aimed at the LGTBI+ community without internal policies to support them
• Presence of “LGTBI friendly” labels or positioning without real actions on a daily basis
• Lack of protocols for situations of discrimination or harassment
• Absence of specific measures in key processes such as selection, promotion or talent management

The problem with this approach is that it generates a false perception of inclusion. Internally, LGBTBI+ people continue to face situations of discrimination or environments in which they cannot appear normally.

In addition, it has a direct impact on the company's credibility. When there is no coherence between what is communicated and what is done, trust (both internal and external) is affected.

Global Statistics: What the Deloitte Report Tells Us

Beyond the local context, global data reflect that the labor inclusion of LGBTI people remains a challenge shared by many organizations.

According to the Deloitte report on LGBT+ inclusion in the workplace:

• El 79% of people surveyed perceives that their companies are making efforts to be more inclusive
• However, the 42% have experienced non-inclusive behavior At work
• Among these behaviors, the following stand out:
  
  • Sexual comments or jokes (33%)
  • Derogatory comments (25%)
  • Situations of social exclusion in the work environment
• More than 80% of those who have experienced these situations state that they occur more frequently than in the case of non-LGBTI colleagues

As for the companies' response:

• El 72% of people who reported these behaviors were satisfied with the management
• El 28% didn't report it, mainly because of:
  
  • To think that it would not be taken seriously
  • Concern about how they would be perceived
  • Fear of possible consequences

These data show a clear reality: although there is a greater intention of inclusion, behaviors and dynamics that directly affect the daily lives of LGBTBI+ people at work still persist.

Concrete measures for real LGTBI+ labor inclusion

Beyond discourse, LGTBI labor inclusion is built through concrete measures that affect people's daily lives.

It's not just about incorporating diversity into corporate culture, but about integrating it into policies, processes and decisions. Without this approach, inclusion remains a statement of intent.

Inclusive policies and practices

The first step in moving towards an inclusive LGBTI work environment is to have a clear framework that guarantees equal treatment.

This involves developing and implementing policies that:

• Explicitly include non-discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
• Establish protocols for action in situations of harassment or LGBTBIphobia
• Integrate diversity into key processes such as selection, promotion and performance evaluation
• Recognize different family realities, such as homoparental families

In addition, it is important that these policies do not remain at the formal level. They must be known, accessible and consistently applied across the organization.

Training and awareness-raising

Policies alone are not enough if they are not accompanied by a change in organizational culture.

Training and awareness-raising help:

• Reduce prejudices and stereotypes in the work environment
• Improve coexistence and respect between teams
• Provide managers and teams with tools to manage diversity

This type of training must go beyond specific actions. Integrating it on a continuous basis allows LGTBI labor inclusion to be part of the company's normal functioning and not of isolated initiatives.

Networks and affinity groups

Affinity groups are a useful tool for promoting inclusion from within the organization.

They allow us to create spaces in which LGTBI+ people can share experiences, identify needs and transfer proposals for improvement. In addition, they contribute to giving visibility to diversity in the company.

Well implemented, these groups can:

• Serve as a channel to detect situations that do not always come through formal channels
• Support the development of internal initiatives related to diversity and inclusion
• Facilitate the connection between employees and promote a more open environment

For them to have an impact, it is important that they have the real support of the organization and are not limited to a symbolic function.

Equal opportunities

The labor inclusion of the LGTBI community also means ensuring that all people can access the same opportunities within the company.

This involves review key processes to avoid biases, especially in:

• Selection and hiring
• Internal promotion
• Performance Evaluation
• Access to training and development

The objective is to ensure that sexual orientation or gender identity does not condition a professional career.

In addition, it is important to analyze internal data to identify possible inequalities and to act on them in a concrete way.

External alliances and collaborations

Working on inclusion in isolation limits its impact. Collaborating with external entities makes it possible to reinforce internal policies and align them with good practices.

These alliances can help:

• Update measures and processes based on standards and reference frameworks
• Participate in initiatives that promote LGBTI labor inclusion at the social level
• Give greater coherence between external positioning and internal reality

Having external support also provides a more objective view of the state of inclusion in the organization and of areas for improvement.

Immediate actions from collective bargaining

In addition to internal measures, the employment inclusion of LGBTI people also depends on the framework established by collective agreements.

As the data show, most agreements in Spain do not yet incorporate specific measures, leaving many situations of discrimination at work uncovered.

For this reason, collective bargaining is a key lever for structural progress. Some actions that can be implemented immediately are:

• Include specific protection clauses against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity
• Incorporate protocols for action in situations of LGBTPhobic harassment or violence in all workplaces
• Extend rights and benefits to diverse families, such as homoparental women
• Introduce measures that respond to specific needs of trans people, currently absent in most agreements

This type of action allows us to move from intention to real application, ensuring that inclusion does not depend solely on each company, but is part of working conditions.

Integrating diversity at this level not only reinforces the protection of LGBTBI+ people, but it also contributes to creating more equitable, coherent and sustainable work environments in the long term.