More than 70% of workplaces failing to support LGBTQ+ community

21-Jun-2023 - Last updated on 21-Jun-2023 at 09:15 GMT

Campaign vow: Greene King has partnered with Absolut Vodka and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar for its #DiversityMakesUs campaign, and is donating 10p (+ VAT) per drink throughout June

More than 70% of companies are not doing enough to support the LGBTQ+ community and the pub is a “fantastic place” to start a conversation about such issues, according to Greene King.

The brewer and pub operator’s commissioned research of 2,000 Brits to explore the different ways both employees and customers can support the LGBTQ+ community found just 28% said their workplace adequately supports the LGBTQ+ community.

While data shows support for the LGBTQ+ community is strong across the UK, with 42% saying they consider themselves an ‘ally’ to the community – the results show more action is needed from employers.

When it comes to workplace policy, use of pronouns (30%), came top of the list of ways employees can support the community, which is a policy encouraged by the Suffolk-based business on email addresses and signatures as well as their Teams profile.

When it comes to other ways to support the LGBTQ+ community, having a dedicated gender identity policy (25%), having gender neutral bathrooms (23%), having an LGBTQ+ employee group (20%) and donating to LGBTQ+ charities (20%) were voted as the top ways employers should show support.

The Village Greene focus group

To ensure policy decisions are informed by members of the community, Greene King works closely with The Village Greene, its LGBTQ+-focused, employee-led inclusion group, on initiatives throughout the year to ensure inclusivity is at the heart of the business, as well as raise awareness and promote allyship as part of the company’s journey to everyday inclusion. The Village Greene is also an active supporter of Switchboard LGBT+ Helpline.

As part of its support for Pride Month, Greene King has partnered with Absolut Vodka and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar for its #DiversityMakesUs campaign, and is donating 10p (+ VAT) per drink throughout June to raise money for the charity.

This will be the third year Greene King has supported the charity, having previously donated £20,000.

Opening up a conversation about LGBTQ+ issues is often easiest in a familiar setting, and according to the latest data, the pub was voted as the perfect place to have an open discussion with a friend by 4 in 10 Brits (38%), beating out restaurants (29%) and the workplace (14%).

Very little scrutiny

Greene King has partnered with The Chase star Jenny Ryan on the issue. She said: “Research from Greene King shows a huge number of people see LGBTQ+ issues debated across social media, where there’s very little scrutiny or fact checking going on.

“Everyone is absolutely entitled to their own opinion but it’s important to be informed before you speak out on issues at the heart of the community.

“No one is expecting you to be up to date with every single issue – but if you’re unsure about someone or something – whether that’s in the workplace or at home, there’s absolutely no harm in asking politely.”

Greene King chief communications and sustainability officer and board sponsor for The Village Greene Assad Malic said: “It’s clear from our recent study the humble pub is a fantastic place to open up a conversation about issues experienced by members of the LGBTQ+ community.

“Therefore, we need to do everything we can to ensure our pubs are a safe and welcoming space for all, regardless of gender or sexual identity.”