The first dedicated study to explore the influence of sexual orientation on the experience of workplace bullying has found that lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) employees were 1.34 times more likely to be bullied. Moreover, not being open about their sexual orientation elevated the risk of bullying.
Through interviews with a large and rigorously compiled sample of the British working population, it was found that while the nature of the experience of bullying was similar for all, LGB employees were not only more likely to be bullied but were also more likely to be exposed to intrusive, sexualised behaviours such as unwanted jokes or remarks with sexual undertones, and unwanted physical contact.
The presence of such sexualised behaviour could demonstrate homo-/biphobia and hostility to non-heterosexuality, and suggests LGB people are being over-sexualised, stereotyped and defined in terms of their sexual orientation alone, implying some employees think it is more “acceptable” to display sexualised behaviour towards LGB people.
Whilst being open about their sexual orientation did not make LGB people more likely to become a target of bullying as hypothesised, those who only reveal their sexual orientation when asked were significantly more likely to be exposed to negative acts than those who were totally open. This suggests that non-disclosure does not prevent others at work making assumptions about sexual orientation via stereotypical assumptions about appearance, dress or gestures.
Dr Anna Einarsdóttir of the University of York School for Business and Society, a co-author of the paper, said: “Our study reveals that, contrary to expectation, openness about being LGB is not associated with any elevated risk of becoming a target of bullying, indicating that disclosing non-heterosexuality in the context of UK workplaces is in most cases safe and without repercussions.”
“However, many LGBs still choose not to disclose their sexual orientation, which in light of the greater perceived risk for LGBs of becoming a target of bullying is understandable. It also seems the case that decisions not to disclose are not consistently respected by colleagues, implying that decisions about disclosure are not always fully under the control of the individual.”
“Altogether, this warrants a need for organisational responses which encourage inclusiveness, actively challenge homo-/biphobia and expressions of disrespect for LGBs, and where privacy is respected for those who may not wish to draw attention to their sexuality.”
“The fact that more than 6% of employees emerged as targets of severe or regular bullying suggests that prevalent bullying policies in UK organisations are not as effective as intended. Moreover, with LGB people seemingly facing bullying at work to a considerably greater extent (11%) than heterosexual employees (3%), organisations need to pay specific attention to sexual orientation and the needs of LGB employees.”
To arrange an interview with the author or receive further details, contact Harry O'Neill at Insight Media: harry@insightm.co.uk
