Today a report Through our eyes: experiences of lesbian, gay and bisexual people in the workplace was published by The Rainbow Project having been commissioned by the Department for Social Development. Interpreting statistics is always a difficult task, and it always depends upon how you look at things what you end up saying.

In this post, I am going to quote from the Key Findings and Recommendations document for the above report, and then make my own suggestions on more positive statements that could be made instead.

In the Workplace

• More than 1 in 4 (26.9%) respondents from the private sector conceal their sexual orientation in their workplace

Approximately 3 in 4 (73.1) respondents from the private sector are open about their sexual orientation in their workplace.

• Almost 1 in 4 (24.5%) respondents from the public sector conceal their sexual orientation in their workplace

Over three-quarters (75.5%) of respondents from the public sector are open about their sexual orientation in their workplace

• 33.9% of respondents aged 45-59 conceal their sexual orientation in the workplace

Nearly two-thirds (66.1%) of respondents aged 45-59 are open about their sexual orientation in the workplace

• More than 1 in 3 respondents (38.7%) working in the private sector don’t know anyone else in their organisation who is LGB

Over three fifths (61.3%) of respondents working in the private sector know someone else in their organisation who is LGB

Unfortunately, the rest of the report’s key findings are not so easy to make into a positive way, so perhaps that is the reason that the Rainbow Project decided to make the report’s key findings as above.

Matthew McDermott, author of the report, said

This report provides a great opportunity for government and employers to work in partnership with the LGBT professional sector to broaden good relations and deliver a more equal society. Employers should look to get the best from all their employees, just as employees should look to get the best from their employers and there is an opportunity with the recommendations from this report to make that happen.

At the launch today, the Minister for Social Development, Alex Attwood MLA (until midnight tonight!), made three statements about the Report which I think are of note:

1. The sample size of over 750 is a very good sample size, greater than some polls used approaching the election in the Republic of Ireland, which makes this report very credible and gives it good authority.
2. Previously we have had problems as we have had no proven data and evidence. This is now not the case – we can now move forward with an evidence-based report.

and

3. The report speaks about the current shape and character of society and about the hopes for the future shape and character of society here. The needs of the LGB community to be cherished alongside the needs of all other communities and sections of Northern Ireland’s society.

The Minister also pointed out that, whilst he may not be an MLA after midnight tonight, the work of government does not cease just because the Assembly will have been dissolved as they prepare for the elections for the next mandate of the Assembly on May 5th. He therefore gave a commitment that his department would work towards Recommendations 1* and 3 in conjunction with other departments over the next six weeks whilst he is still Minister, and he hopes that this will continue in the new mandate of the Assembly.

Footnotes

The full report can be found here

Recommendation one

• Organisations, regardless of size or structure, should recognise the benefits of equality and diversity in the workplace and acknowledge the need to have it central to the functions and ethos of the organisation. How, and to what degree, initiatives are implemented within a particular organisation will depend, to a large extent, on the nature and size of the organisation itself.
• Employers should review, renew, or develop, robust equality and diversity policies and practices throughout their organisation. This should include an Equality and Diversity Statement, Policy and Action Plan, Anti-Bullying and Harassment Policy, family friendly policies, network support groups and monitoring policy. (See appendix II for further detail)
• Organisations should review and renew how they communicate with staff, particularly around these issues.
• Organisations should review, renew or develop their equality and diversity training provision, content and duration ensuring a minimum level is in place, which includes compulsory equality and diversity training for all staff, with reference to sexual orientation.

Recommendation three

• Government should establish an Equality Small Grants Scheme. This Scheme should seek to award small and medium sized enterprises with grants to enable them to obtain expert advice on developing and implementing equality and diversity policies and practices throughout their organisations.
• Government should financially assist the LGB&T sector in developing programmes and training packages for employers on how to implement LGB equality in their organisation.

Related Articles

• Homophobia widespread in Northern Ireland workplaces, according to report (guardian.co.uk)
• LGB work inequality still exists (bbc.co.uk)
• Dissolution of the 3rd Northern Ireland Assembly at midnight (politics.ie)