The new edition of the study “Out in the Office?!” was published to mark the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, Inter* and Trans*phobia (IDAHOBIT) 2024. This renowned series of studies by the IDA | Institute for Diversity and Anti-Discrimination Research has been investigating the working reality of LGBTIQA* employees in Germany since 2017. Supported by the PROUT AT WORK Foundation, the current survey provides valuable insights into how queer identities are dealt with in the workplace, experiences of discrimination and the importance of an inclusive corporate culture.
“Being open about one’s own sexual orientation or gender identity has a positive effect on the job satisfaction, commitment and organizational self-esteem of queer employees.” – Albert Kehrer, CEO of PROUT AT WORK
Key findings of the study
The new survey of the “Out in the office?!” study shows that openness and experiences of discrimination vary greatly depending on sexual orientation and/or gender identity:
Openness in the workplace
- Around a quarter of endo cis LS+ respondents, two thirds of endo cis B+ respondents and over half of endo T* respondents are closed to their colleagues with regard to their sexual or gender identity
- Are open towards all colleagues:
- 16% of endo T* employees
- 20% of endo cis B+ persons
- 37.5% of endo cis LS+ employees
Experiences of discrimination
- 78% of endo cis LS+, 89% of endo cis B+ and 87% of endo T* respondents have experienced at least one form of discrimination in the workplace.
- In a year-on-year comparison, the extent of discrimination remains at a high level: for endo cis LS+ and endo T* employees, experiences increased by 4.3% and 3.9% respectively compared to 2017.
“Among endo T* people, there has been a steady year-on-year increase in the number of people experiencing extremely high levels of discrimination. This means that they experience many different forms of discrimination.” – Nain Heiligers, Research Associate, IDA | Institute for Diversity & Anti-Discrimination Research.
Queer-friendly corporate culture
An inclusive work culture is crucial for queer people in particular – and also influences economic behavior. LGBTIQA*-friendly companies are preferred by:
- 78.6% of respondents when using services
- 72.2% of respondents when making purchasing decisions
- 71.6% of respondents for job applications
“While the proportion of closeted endo cis LS+ people has fallen continuously in recent years, the picture is less clear for endo T* and endo cis B+ people. At the same time, more endo (cis) LGBT* people are very open about their sexual or gender identity in the workplace.” – Dominic Frohn, Scientific Director, IDA | Institute for Diversity & Anti-Discrimination Research.
Actively promoting queer diversity
We need more studies like “Out in the office?!” in order to be able to argue with serious sources and draw attention to grievances in the world of work. Because experiences of discrimination against queer people in the workplace are real and it is everyone’s responsibility to speak out against it.
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