Report: LGBTQ are less happy at work than colleagues

As the global pandemic has resulted in a tumultuous time for both employers and employees, many Americans have found themselves laid off, scaling back or pivoting to new freelance ventures. During this time, job search company Glassdoor may be a place many job seekers are turning to for important information that can help them assess and compare different companies they may like to work for.

One key factor in the job search is inclusivity–how highly rated is a company in its diversity and inclusion? And how do LGBTQ+ rate different workplaces?

Unfortunately, not well–or, at least, not as well as their colleagues. According to the LGBTQ+ Employee Satisfaction Report, released on Wednesday by Glassdoor, LGBTQ+ are not as satisfied at work, and give companies, on average, lower ratings than their coworkers do. Average company ratings on Glassdoor by non-LGBTQ+-identifying employees was 3.47 — but for LGBTQ+, it dropped to 3.27.

SEE: Transgender employees in tech: Why this “progressive” industry has more work to do to achieve true gender inclusivity (TechRepublic cover story)

The report is part of a set of Diversity & Inclusion products offered by Glassdoor that give LGBTQ+ employees, and other groups, the chance to view company ratings and information about pay–culled from reports from other LGBTQ+ employees at these companies. The report is based on reviews (1-5 stars) by employees that disclosed their sexual orientation.

For companies with more than 25 reviews by LGBTQ+ employees, the top, in order:

Apple: 4.14
Starbucks: 3.56
Target: 3.31

…and the bottom, starting at the lowest-rated:

Wells Fargo: 2.65
Walmart: 2.70
Amazon: 2.85

By industry, the highest-rated by LGBTQ+ respondents are government (3.74), education (3.69) and nonprofit (3.47). And the worst-rated industries: telecommunications (2.93); healthcare (3.02); business services (3.07).

SEE: Virtual hiring tips for job seekers and recruiters (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

“Choosing where to work is an incredibly important and personal decision, especially for those who identify as LGBTQ+,”  Scott Dobroski, Glassdoor’s VP of corporate communications, said in a press release. “There are a variety of factors that can make their work experiences potentially more challenging, from differences in health care coverage to cases of employment discrimination and more. We encourage job seekers to go deeper into the employee experience on Glassdoor and leverage LGBTQ+ company ratings and pay data to help them make more informed decisions about where to work.”

TechRepublic has reported on how companies can make the workplace better for LGBTQ+ employees–and more attractive to potential employees–by offering more inclusive healthcare, hiring a chief diversity officer, and more.

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