LGBT+ workers - threats to workplace equality and community inclusion
This report examines the potential implications of proposals to repeal the Equality Act 2010 and the Employment Rights Act 2025, alongside actions taken by some local authorities affecting LGBT+ visibility, inclusion and support. It explores the likely impact of changes to workplace and equality protections for LGBT+ people and considers public opinion on these issues.
The findings demonstrate strong public support for maintaining key workplace rights and equality protections. Overall, 77% of respondents supported retaining provisions in the Employment Rights Act 2025 requiring employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent sexual harassment and introducing protections from third-party harassment, while 74% supported retaining the Equality Act 2010. Support for these protections exceeded support for repeal across the wider public, including among Reform voters.
The research also demonstrates the importance of these protections to LGBT+ workers. A majority of LGBT+ respondents 1 believed that repealing both the Employment Rights Act (55%) and the Equality Act (73%) would have a negative impact on LGBT+ workers. Across every measure tested, LGBT+ respondents were significantly more likely than the full polling sample to anticipate real world harm to LGBT+ workers from repeal.
LGBT+ respondents believed that removing Equality Act protections would increase discrimination and exclusion in the workplace including increases in verbal abuse (71%), homophobic and transphobic jokes (73%), bullying and harassment (72%), and physical violence (56%). They also anticipated workplace consequences, including avoiding certain work situations (71%), taking time off due to work-related stress (64%), leaving their job (59%) exclusion from workplace social events (55%) and conversations (52%).
The findings also highlight that LGBT+ respondents believe repealing equality protections would negatively affect not only workplace experiences but also their mental and physical health. Three-quarters of LGBT+ respondents expected a negative impact on mental health (75%), confidence (74%), work performance (66%) and physical health (57%).
The report also considers the impact of decisions by some local authorities to reduce visible support for LGBT+ communities. LGBT+ respondents overwhelmingly opposed bans on Pride flags at civic buildings (78%) and restrictions on the promotion of Pride events in public libraries (81%). Nearly three-quarters (72%) believed that withdrawing public funding from Pride events would negatively affect LGBT+ people, most commonly by reducing feelings of inclusion (34%) and belonging (16%) and increasing concerns about discrimination (21%).
Altogether, these findings suggest that workplace equality protections and visible support for LGBT+ inclusion continue to command broad public backing. They also indicate that changes to these protections or reductions in local support could have significant consequences for the experiences, wellbeing and participation of LGBT+ people.
The report also highlights there is a role for trade unions in supporting LGBT+ communities where local authority support has been withdrawn. For example, in Durham, trade unions worked with Durham Pride and the Durham Miners Association to help sustain Pride activity following the withdrawal of council funding, demonstrating a continued commitment to equality, inclusion and community solidarity. 2 It will also have gone someway to addressing and minimising the negative impacts LGBT+ people were concerned Pride funding cuts would cause.
The evidence is clear, public opinion supports retaining workplace and equality protections as a whole, but also specifically for LGBT+ people. The public also oppose measures that reduce LGBT+ visibility and inclusion.
- 1 LGBT+ results are based on a cross-break of respondents within the nationally representative UK sample and are not a standalone representative sample of LGBT+ adults.
- 2 https://www.tuc.org.uk/news/neyh/pride-marches-durham-pride-uk-teams-durham-miners-and-trade-unions-major-fundraiser-after
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