Impact of discrimination towards LGBTQ+ people in the workplace: A systematic review

In the United States, between 3% and 12% of employees are part of the LGBTQ+ community. Despite numerous anti-discrimination laws, they continue to be the target of discrimination in their workplaces. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine the impact of direct and indirect discrimination against LGBTQ+ individuals in the workplace and on the organization. Sixty-one articles published between January 2000 and June 2021 and indexed in PsycINFO, Web of Science, Business Source Premier and Gender Studies Data Base and Erudit were analyzed. The results first show that there is no consensus on the definition of discrimination and that few studies distinguish between direct and indirect discrimination. The effects of direct discrimination on individuals can be summarized into five broad categories: 1) hiding one's sexual orientation or gender identity, 2) experiencing financial consequences, 3) experiencing mental or physical health problems, 4) being excluded, and 5) feeling discomfort. The four effects of indirect discrimination on individuals are 1) hiding sexual orientation or gender identity, 2) experiencing negative emotions, 3) mental or physical health problems, and 4) lack of promotion. Finally, the five categories of consequences of direct discrimination on organizations are 1) lack of commitment and satisfaction, 2) lack of trust in the organization, 3) loss of workforce, 4) decreased performance, and 5) harassment. The only identified effect of indirect discrimination on the organization is a deteriorated work climate. (C) 2023 AIPTLF. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.