If there is a suspicion that colleagues might get an easier ride in the workplace it is common to both the working LGB community and the overall American adult working population.
Comparing perceived workload, compensation, and working conditions the two groups delivered almost exactly similar results with both thinking that they were doing pretty well compared to equally qualified colleagues (meaning they were almost always more likely to say they were doing better or the same as them than doing worse).
More people in both groups thought that their manager treated them the same as or better than their colleagues, and both groups are slightly more likely to think their work conditions are a notch ahead of their peers than to think they are worse.
Both groups were equally balanced between fearing that colleagues in equivalent roles were paid more than them, and suspecting that their own compensation outstripped colleagues.
Generally more people think that their workload is heavier and not lighter than colleagues in a similar position, with around a quarter (25% of all employed adults and 26% LGB adults) thinking that their workload is heaver. 8% of all working Americans and 7% of the LGB group think their workload is lighter.
Nearly four in ten (38%) of the LGB responders, however, felt that they had been passed over for promotion compared to only 26% of employed US adults, although not necessarily due to discrimination. Only 9% of LGB workers have felt compelled to contact an HR department specifically about discriminatory behavior (compared to 5% of working adults), however 17% of LGB responders have gone to HR with a complaint about somebody else in their work organization compared to 9% of all employed Americans,
Outside the workplace, discrimination and malicious behavior towards the LGB community seems to be more rampant.
58% of the LGB have suffered “mean looks” in public from someone they didn’t know compared to 41% of all American adults; more than half of the LGB (53%) have received a verbal slur in public from someone they didn’t know compared to 28% of all adults. A quarter (25%) of the LGB community has been physically attacked compared to only 13% of all adults.
Perceived discrimination by authority figures like doctors, police officers and teachers is higher for the LGB community than for the general population with one in five 20% suspecting discrimination by police compared to 13% of adult Americans.
Worst offenders are cashiers and store associates. 25% of the LGB group felt that they had suffered discriminatory behavior in store compared to (a still high) 15% of all Americans.
For further information about Omnibus results, and for details about methodology and Omnibus services, please email omnibus.us@yougov.com.
Find the full results here (Nat Rep) and (LGB).
Image courtesy of Press Association
