RESEARCH: STONEWALL CYMRU REVEALS COMING OUT AT WORK STILL A PROBLEM

STONEWALL CYMRU REVEALS COMING OUT AT WORK STILL A PROBLEM

 

* A THIRD OF LGBT EMPLOYEES IN WALES (34 PER CENT) HID OR DISGUISED

THAT THEY ARE LGBT AT WORK IN THE LAST YEAR BECAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID OF

DISCRIMINATION

 

* THREE IN TEN TRANS PEOPLE (30 PER CENT) HAVE BEEN THE TARGET OF

NEGATIVE COMMENTS OR CONDUCT FROM THEIR WORK COLLEAGUES ON THE BASIS OF

THEIR IDENTITY

 

* ONE IN FOUR BI PEOPLE (26 PER CENT) AREN’T OUT TO ANYONE AT WORK

 

New research from Stonewall Cymru, the lesbian, gay, bi and trans

equality charity, exposes troubling reports of exclusion and

discrimination in Wales’s workplaces.

 

Based on YouGov research of 825 lesbian, gay, bi and trans (LGBT)

employees across Wales, the report found that an astonishing 34 per cent

have hidden their identity because they were afraid of discrimination, a

figure that rises to almost half of trans people (45 per cent).

 

Workplace bullying continues to be a serious problem for LGBT people.

One in six (16 per cent) have been the target of negative comments or

conduct from work colleagues in the last year because of their identity.

This includes being the target of derogatory remarks, experiencing

bullying and abuse, and being outed without consent.

 

The situation for trans people, disabled LGBT people and LGBT people in

lower income households is particularly bad, with all groups facing

higher levels of abuse and exclusion in the workplace._ _Almost a third

of trans people (32 per cent) have been the target of negative comments

or conduct by clients or customers.

 

Stonewall Cymru is calling for employers to develop zero-tolerance

policies on homophobic, biphobic and transphobic discrimination and

harassment, alongside communicating clear routes to report anti-LGBT

bullying.

 

The charity is also calling for employers to take an active role in

supporting trans staff by running awareness sessions for all employees

on trans inclusion and developing policies for staff who transition at

work.

 

ANDREW WHITE, DIRECTOR, STONEWALL CYMRU said:

 

‘More and more workplaces in Wales are showing their dedication to their

LGBT staff by taking action to become more inclusive. However, our _Work

Report_ shows that for some LGBT people in Wales, work is a place of

abuse and discrimination. The fact that three in ten trans people have

faced transphobic behaviour from their own colleagues shows just how

much we have to do until everyone can be themselves at work.

 

‘As well as being the right thing to do, equality is good business

sense. If you create an environment where employees don’t have to worry

about hiding their identity or put up with persistent abuse, you reap

the benefits of a happy, motivated workforce. We need more organisations

and businesses to come out for LGBT equality and show their commitment

to their LGBT staff and colleagues.

 

‘We’re proud to work with employers across Wales through our Diversity

Champions programme to build a world where all lesbian, gay, bi and

trans staff are treated equally at work.’

 

TESTIMONIES:

 

“A customer, as they were leaving my counter, said, “He was a faggot,

that’s disgusting, I don’t want to be served by him” loud enough to be

heard by several people.” – Maddox, 35

 

“I still feel pressure to keep quiet about my sexuality. I was working

part-time over Christmas, and at least two colleagues made homophobic

and transphobic remarks. I was too anxious and fearful of rejection to

reprimand them or tell them that I was gay.” – Milo, 30

 

“The last four job interviews I’ve had have all thought it to be okay to

ask when I am having my gender reassignment surgery and how long I would

be taking off work when I did so, before turning me down for the job

applied for. My last phone interview said that my retail skills were not

good enough to fill the position of customer assistant even though I

have 10 years of retail management experience.” – Lynn, 41

 

To read the full _LGBT in Wales: Work Report _visit:

www.stonewallcymru.org.uk [1]

 

For more details of Stonewall Cymru’s work with employers, go to:

https://www.stonewallcymru.org.uk/stonewall-cymru-diversity-champions-programme

[2]

 

 

 

 

* All names in quotes have been changed for anonymity and ages have

been assigned from within age bands.

 

* Stonewall Cymru is Wales’s leading charity for lesbian, gay, bi and

trans equality, working to create a world where every single person can

be accepted without exception.

 

 

STONEWALL CYMRU YN DATGELU BOD DOD ALLAN YN Y GWAITH YN DAL I FOD YN

BROBLEM

 

* MAE TRAEAN Y GWEITHWYR LHDT YNG NGHYMRU (34 Y CANT) WEDI CUDDIO’R

FFAITH EU BOD NHW’N LHDT YN Y GWAITH YN YSTOD Y FLWYDDYN DDIWETHAF GAN

EU BOD YN OFNI GWAHANIAETHU

 

* MAE TRI YMHOB DEG O BOBL DRAWS (30 Y CANT) WEDI WYNEBU SYLWADAU NEU

YMDDYGIAD NEGYDDOL GAN GYDWEITHWYR AR SAIL EU HUNANIAETH

 

* DYDY UN YM MHOB PEDWAR O BOBL DEURYWIOL (26 Y CANT) HEB DDOD ALLAN

WRTH NEB YN Y GWAITH

 

Mae ymchwil newydd gan Stonewall Cymru, yr elusen cydraddoldeb

lesbiaidd, hoyw, deurywiol a thraws, yn datgelu adroddiadau pryderus am

eithrio a gwahaniaethu yng ngweithleoedd Cymru.

 

Yn seiliedig ar ymchwil gan YouGov gyda 825 o weithwyr lesbiaidd, hoyw,

deurywiol a thraws (LHDT) yng Nghymru, canfu’r adroddiad fod 34 y cant

wedi cuddio eu hunaniaeth gan eu bod yn ofni gwahaniaethu. Mae hwn yn

ffigur syfrdanol, ac mae’n cynyddu i bron i hanner ar gyfer pobl draws

(45 y cant).

 

Mae bwlio yn y gweithle yn dal i fod yn broblem ddifrifol i bobl LHDT.

Mae un ymhob chwech o bobl LHDT (16 y cant) wedi wynebu sylwadau neu

ymddygiad negyddol gan gydweithwyr yn ystod y flwyddyn ddiwethaf

oherwydd eu hunaniaeth. Mae hyn yn cynnwys bod yn destun sylwadau

difrïol,

 

profi bwlio a chamdriniaeth, a phobl yn datgelu eu rhywioldeb neu eu

rhywedd heb gydsyniad.

 

Mae’r sefyllfa’n arbennig o wael i bobl draws, pobl LHDT sy’n anabl a

phobl LHDT o gartrefi incwm is, gyda phob un o’r grwpiau hyn yn wynebu

lefelau uwch o gamdriniaeth ac eithrio yn y gwaith. Mae bron i draean y

bobl draws (32 y cant) wedi wynebu sylwadau neu ymddygiad negyddol gan

gwsmeriaid neu gleientiaid.__

 

Mae Stonewall Cymru yn galw ar gyflogwyr i ddatblygu polisïau dim

goddefgarwch mewn perthynas ag aflonyddu a gwahaniaethu homoffobaidd,

deuffobaidd a thrawsffobaidd, gan roi gwybod am lwybrau clir ar sut i

adrodd am fwlio gwrth-LHDT.

 

Mae’r elusen hefyd yn galw ar gyflogwyr i fynd ati i gefnogi staff

traws, drwy gynnal sesiynau ymwybyddiaeth i’r holl weithwyr ar

gynhwysiant traws a datblygu polisïau i staff sy’n trawsnewid yn y

gwaith.

 

Dywedodd ANDREW WHITE, CYFARWYDDWR STONEWALL CYMRU:

 

‘Mae mwy a mwy o weithleoedd yng Nghymru yn dangos eu hymroddiad i’w

staff LHDT drwy weithredu a dod yn fwy cynhwysol. Fodd bynnag, mae

_Adroddiad Gwaith_ Stonewall yn dangos bod y gweithle yn le sy’n golygu

camdriniaeth a gwahaniaethu i rai pobl LHDT yng Nghymru. Mae’r ffaith

bod tri ymhob deg o bobl draws wedi wynebu ymddygiad trawsffobaidd gan

eu cydweithwyr yn dangos faint sydd angen i ni ei wneud cyn y gall pawb

fod yn nhw eu hunain yn y gwaith.

 

‘Nid yn unig dyma’r peth cywir i’w wneud, mae cydraddoldeb yn gwneud

synnwyr busnes. Os ydych chi’n creu amgylchedd lle nad oes angen i’r

gweithwyr boeni am guddio eu hunaniaeth neu ddioddef camdriniaeth gyson,

rydych chi’n elwa ar weithlu hapus a brwdfrydig. Mae angen i fwy o

sefydliadau a busnesau ddod allan dros gydraddoldeb LHDT, a dangos eu

hymrwymiad i’w staff a’u cydweithwyr LHDT.

 

‘Rydyn ni’n falch o gael gweithio gyda chyflogwyr ar draws Cymru drwy

ein rhaglen Hyrwyddwyr Amrywiaeth i greu byd lle caiff yr holl staff

lesbiaidd, hoyw, deurywiol a thraws eu trin yn gyfartal yn y gwaith.’

 

TYSTIOLAETHAU:

 

“Dywedodd cwsmer, wrth iddyn nhw adael fy nghownter, “Roedd e’n ffagot,

mae hynna’n afiach, dw i ddim eisiau cael fy syrfio ganddo fe” yn ddigon

uchel i sawl person ei glywed.” – Maddox, 35

 

“Rydw i’n dal i deimlo pwysau i gadw’n dawel am fy rhywioldeb. Roeddwn

i’n gweithio’n rhan amser dros y Nadolig, a gwnaeth o leiaf ddau

gydweithiwr sylwadau homoffobaidd a thrawsffobaidd. Roedd gormod o

bryder ac ofn cael fy ngwrthod arna i i’w ceryddu neu i ddweud wrthyn

nhw fy mod i’n hoyw.” – Milo, 30

 

“Mae’r pedwar panel cyfweld diwethaf i mi eu hwynebu wedi credu ei bod

hi’n iawn gofyn pryd ydw i’n cael fy llawdriniaeth ailbennu rhywedd, a

pha mor hir bydda i i ffwrdd o’r gwaith pan fydda i’n ei chael, cyn fy

ngwrthod ar gyfer y swydd. Yn fy nghyfweliad diwethaf am swydd, fe

ddywedon nhw nad oedd fy sgiliau manwerthu yn ddigon da ar gyfer swydd

cynorthwyydd cwsmeriaid, er bod gen i ddeng mlynedd o brofiad rheoli

mewn swyddi manwerthu.” – Lynn, 41