Microaggressions are keeping LGBTQ employees out of the office

Diversity and inclusion initiatives mean nothing if the demographics they’re targeting aren’t comfortable enough to show up to work to experience them.  

According to a 2021 McKinsey survey, more than 60% of LGBTQ respondents have had to correct colleagues’ assumptions about their personal lives. Queer employees were also significantly more likely than other respondents to have heard derogatory comments or jokes about people like them in the workplace.

These microaggressions are still keeping LGBTQ employees from experiencing an inclusive work environment. More unsettling is that many employers and colleagues aren’t aware they’re doing it. 

“Microaggressions are unconscious or subconscious behaviors that employees say or do that are perceived as negative biases towards someone of a certain group or identity,” says Annie Rosencrans, U.S. director of people and culture at software company Hibob. “For someone who identifies as non-binary, being addressed as male or female gender, or employees not recognizing their identity as they want to be called is a microaggression.” 

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While this may seem like a simple correction for LGBTQ employees to make, many queer employees feel burned out and would prefer to work from home to avoid these damaging interactions. 

“When we're working in person, we see each other down the hallway or in the kitchen getting coffee and so the frequency with which these microaggressions [occur] is a lot higher,” Rosencrans says. “These can take an emotional toll if someone's constantly having to correct or defend who they are and their identity with their peers. It can be exhausting and draining.”  

To address this behavior, employers need to offer training for non-LGBTQ employees on what constitutes a microaggression. Additionally, a company’s culture needs to promote an environment of trust for queer employees to feel comfortable speaking about their experiences safely. 

A good start is ensuring that everyone — regardless of whether they consider themselves part of the LGBTQ community or not — shares their gender identity to make it easier for members of gender minorities to come out and identify themselves. Having employees add their pronouns to email signatures is a quick solution that creates a culture of belonging for all. 

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As for training, Rosencrans encourages employers to invite third-party speakers who identify as part of the queer community or have authority over the issue, instead of attempting to keep it in-house. These events are typically received better by both queer and cis employees. 

Getting all employees involved — in identifying microaggressions, calling them out, and actively addressing them — will ensure a company-wide investment in creating safer spaces year-round. 

“We have come a long way,” says Rosencrans. “The fact that we're even talking about gender identity and our everyday language is a really good sign of progress. But all of these touch points are really critical points in the employee experience where we need to check ourselves for biases and still call each other out.”