Poll Finds LGBTQ+ Employees Feeling Less Comfortable in the Workplace

A new survey from Monster finds many American workers feeling less comfortable discussing gender identity or sexual orientation than they felt one year ago.

In a recent poll of more than 1,300 employees, Monster found 17% of respondents saying they are more willing to talk about gender identity or sexual orientation than they were last year. Meanwhile, 42% said they feel less comfortable doing so than they did in 2024.

In addition, 14% of respondents who identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community told Monster they are open about their sexual orientation and gender identity with colleagues, compared to the 45% of straight and/or cisgender employees who indicated as much.

Just 16% said their workplace has an LGBTQ+ employee resource group (ERG) or an equivalent support group. More than 80% said their organizations either do not have an existing ERG for LGBTQ+ employees, or they are unaware of whether their organization has one.

One-quarter of workers said they believe it is very important for workplaces to foster open discussion about LGBTQ+ identities and expression, while nearly half (48%) said that fostering open discussions about LGBTQ+ identities or expression “is completely irrelevant in the workplace.”

Monster career expert Vicki Salemi recently told Inc. that the survey’s results suggest there is room for improvement in terms of ensuring LGBTQ+ employees feel included and accepted in the workplace.

“Employers have opportunities to make meaningful, positive, significant impacts that won’t break the bank, such as creating an LGBTQ+ ERG,” Salemi told the business publication.

“It’s not about a one-and-done situation to launch an ERG and call it a day. Rather, create a group with meaningful, consistent, and inclusive programming and connections for all.”

That said, the survey’s findings suggest that workers’ feelings on bringing the topic into the workplace are mixed. For example, 50% of survey participants said they don’t think LGBTQ+ identity should be discussed in the workplace at all, while 25% said there should be free and open exchanges on the subject at work.

Taking such numbers into consideration, Salemi recommended that employers “start bridging the gap by encouraging greater discussion about LGBTQ+ identity and related topics to further normalize them as integral, unavoidable modern workplace realities,” wrote Inc.’s Bruce Crumley.

Salemi urged organizations to “focus on increasing comfort and safety and expanding employee policies for protections. Making these initiatives a priority will aim to foster inclusion and a supportive and safe environment for all LGBTQ+ employees.”