Being LGBT+ hurts your career according to 4 out of 10 people

On the eve of June, considered LGBT+ pride month, studies on this community are flocking. And most of them are quite pessimistic about the well-being of queer people, due to LGBTphobia. While in France the Senate has just approved a law on transphobia, the Randstad study group has published worrying results on the integration of LGBT+ people in the workplace.

French LGBT+ workers, more isolated and damaged than before

In total, more than 2,000 LGBT+ people responded to the Randstad survey. respondents belonging to the LGBT+ community in 7 countries (Germany, Australia, United States, France, Japan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom). It follows that 4 in 10 LGBT+ workers believe their sexual orientation or gender identity has had a negative impact on their career.

In France, 39% of workers from the LGBTQI+ community have already been victims of discrimination in the workplace (compared to 41% of the entire panel interviewed).

Among French respondents, almost four in ten (38%) feel more isolated at work than five years ago. The feeling of discomfort at work has even pushed one in three employees (34%) to leave their job.

Furthermore, due to a non-inclusive work environment, 37% of young French LGBTQI+ workers prefer teleworking rather than in-person work, summarizes the Randstad press release published on 30 May 2024.

34% of French respondents have already left their jobs due to LGBT phobia

“In France, 38% of LGBTQI+ employees feel more isolated in their work environment than five years ago (32% for the entire panel) », reveals the Randstad study. “This feeling of isolation is particularly significant for members of Generation X (51% in France compared to 29% of the entire panel) and baby boomers (45% in France compared to 27% of the entire panel). »

As a result, many prefer to work remotely or even flee companies deemed insufficiently inclusive: “ The feeling of discomfort in the workplace pushed 34% of French respondents to leave their jobs (29% for the entire panel) and 37% of them change career paths (32% for the entire panel). There is therefore a direct link between non-inclusive work environments and talent retention. »

Among the European countries studied, France raises the greatest concern among LGBT+ people : “46% of respondents said they were worried about their career path compared to 29% in the Netherlands, 34% in Germany and 42% in the UK. More than 4 in 10 French respondents (43%) believe that their sexual orientation or gender identity has had a negative impact on their career, much more than the Dutch (25%), Germans (29%) or British (36%). %). %). »

Other studies show how France mistreats LGBT+ people

Already on May 17, 2024, the Ministry of the Interior had published alarming data on the increase in LGBT phobia in France. The Ministerial Statistical Service for Internal Security (SSMSI) has published its annual report on anti-LGBT+ crimes recorded by the national police and the gendarmerie in 2023 on French territory. It follows that " Anti-LGBTQ discrimination in France has increased by 13% since 2022. Crimes such as assaults, threats and harassment have increased by 19%, with 2,870 cases recorded by French authorities. »

Additionally, digital PR agency Reboot Online re-examined its 2019 study of the most inclusive European countries for LGBTQ+ professionals and found that France had actually regressed from the initial study:

“With a score of 4.25/10 in 2024, compared to 7.20 in 2019, France has seen the largest decline in inclusion of LGBTQ+ professionals in Europe. Despite the average scores for factors such as "openness at work" (5.17/10) and "equality at work" (5.17/10), the most disappointing score is for "safety" (2.41/10) , with 16% of LGBTQ+ people surveyed reporting having experienced harassment in the past year. »

In short, at the dawn of Pride Month, France really has nothing to be proud of.

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