LGBTQIA+ inclusive workplace climate in Portugal: Sexual minorities employees’ perspectives

Iara Teixeira; Felipe Alckmin-Carvalho; Henrique Pereira

doi:10.31211/rpics.2025.11.2.406

Authors

Iara Teixeira Universidade da Beira Interior https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7931-4237
Felipe Alckmin-Carvalho Universidade do Minho https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0203-2650
Henrique Pereira Universidade da Beira Interior https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9448-682X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31211/rpics.2025.11.2.406

Keywords:

LGBTQIA , Sexual and gender minorities, Inclusive organizational climate, Workplace discrimination, Supervisor support

Abstract

Background: Despite growing efforts to promote workplace diversity, many LGBTQIA+ employees still face discrimination, exclusion, and challenges in fully expressing their identities at work. The literature indicates that perceptions of inclusive organizational climate are closely linked to LGBTQIA+ employees’ well-being, job satisfaction, and engagement. Objective: To examine perceptions of LGBTQIA+ inclusive organizational climate among cisgender sexual minority workers in Portugal, and to test their associations with self-reported workplace discrimination. Method: Seventy-nine cisgender, non-heterosexual participants (M_age 31.59, SD = 10.13) completed a questionnaire assessing LGBT–inclusive workplace climate and a sociodemographic questionnaire in a cross-sectional online survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman’s rank-order correlations, Mann–Whitney U tests, hierarchical regression, and regression-based moderation analyses. Results: Respondents indicated that their organizations often had formal LGBTQIA+ inclusion policies, but these were often perceived as only partially or inconsistently implemented. Participants reported experiences of discrimination, with women perceiving less discrimination and indicating greater openness about their identities. Perceived supervisor and coworker support were strongly associated with a less discriminatory climate, and identity disclosure/outness was positively associated with perceptions of an inclusive workplace climate. The moderation analysis indicated that the interaction between supervisor support and disclosure was not significant; instead, supervisor support predicted lower discrimination consistently across all levels of disclosure. Conclusions: These findings underscore the critical role of both organizational culture and support mechanisms in fostering an inclusive climate for LGBTQIA+ individuals in the workplace.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Anderson, M. Z., Croteau, J. M., Chung, Y. B., & DiStefano, T. M. (2001). Developing an assessment of sexual identity management for lesbian and gay workers. Journal of Career Assessment, 9(3), 243–260. https://doi.org/fp7zq9

Baptista, J., & Costa, D. (2024). Insights from Portuguese LGBTQ+ associations on trans population’s professional integration. Social Sciences, 13(7), Article 386. https://doi.org/pk9m

Cabral, J., & Pinto, T. (2023). Gender, shame, and social support in LGBTQI+ exposed to discrimination: A model for understanding the impact on mental health. Social Sciences, 12(9), Article 454. https://doi.org/pk9n

Carreiro, S. J. C. (2014). Measuring workplace climate for LGBT people: Antecedents and outcomes of an LGBT-inclusive workplace climate (Master’s thesis, ISCTE Business School, Lisbon, Portugal). http://bit.ly/4mrntc3

Chowdhury, M., & Brooks, T. (2024). The comparative inclusion and acceptance of LGBT+ people in the UK construction industry. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers – Management, Procurement and Law, 178(2), 41–49. https://doi.org/pk9p

Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral sciences (2nd ed.). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Cruz-Zuniga, N., Castillo, M. A., Armendáriz-García, N., & Lima Rodríguez, J. (2022). Clima laboral, estrés laboral y consumo de alcohol en trabajadores de la industria: Una revisión sistemática. Revista Española de Salud Pública, Article 95. https://bit.ly/4m9Dt1W

Cupach, W. R., & Imahori, T. T. (1993). Identity management theory: Communication competence in intercultural episodes and relationships. In R. L. Wiseman & J. Koester (Eds.), Intercultural communication competence (Vol. 112, pp. 131–149). Sage.

Dagar, R., & Shrotiya, K. (2025). The inclusion imperative: Building LGBTI-friendly work environments. Research Review International Journal of Multidisciplinary, 10(1), 76–95. https://doi.org/pk9q

Dawis, R. V., & Lofquist, L. H. (1984). A psychological theory of work adjustment: An individual-differences model and its applications. University of Minnesota Press.

Della Torre, R., & Pereira, H. (2024). Lived experiences of sexual minorities in their achievement of leadership and psychosocial well-being in organizational settings. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 11, 1–17. https://doi.org/pk9r

Dutta, D., & Srinivasan, V. (2024). Inclusion for LGBTQ talent: A practice theory approach. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, 43(7), 1093–1118. https://doi.org/pk9s

Eisenberger, R., Huntington, R., Hutchison, S., & Sowa, D. (1986). Perceived organizational support. Journal of Applied Psychology, 71(3), 500–507. https://doi.org/bmzkg6

Ellsworth, D., Mendy, A., & Sullivan, G. (2020). How the LGBTQ+ community fares in the workplace. McKinsey & Company. https://bit.ly/3GPbLHD

Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Buchner, A., & Lang, A.-G. (2009). Statistical power analyses using G*Power 3.1: Tests for correlation and regression analyses. Behavior Research Methods, 41(4), 1149–1160. https://doi.org/b22kn7

Fletcher, L., & Everly, B. A. (2021). Perceived lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) supportive practices and the life satisfaction of LGBT employees: The roles of disclosure, authenticity at work, and identity centrality. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 94(3), 485–508. https://doi.org/gm529g

Foster, B. P., Manikas, A. S., & Preece, D. C. (2020). LGBTQ workplace inclusion before and after Obergefell v. Hodges: Association with Tobin’s Q and ROA. Journal of Accounting, Ethics & Public Policy, 21(4), 481–510. https://doi.org/pk9t

Gosar, C. (2023). Impact of LGBT-supportive workplace policies on productivity. MET Management Review, 10(2), 84–91. https://doi.org/pk9v

Hayes, A. F. (2022). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach (3rd ed.). The Guilford Press.

Hudson, K. D., & Bruce-Miller, V. (2022). Nonclinical best practices for creating LGBTQ-inclusive care environments: A scoping review of gray literature. Journal of Gay & Lesbian Social Services, 35(2), 218–240. https://doi.org/pk9w

Hur, H. (2020). The role of inclusive work environment practices in promoting LGBT employee job satisfaction and commitment. Public Money & Management, 40(6), 426–436. https://doi.org/gh44kh

Lardier, D. T., Opara, I., Brammer, M. K., Pinto, S. A., Garcia-Reid, P., & Reid, R. J. (2020). Psychological sense of community, community civic participation, and ethnic identity on social justice orientation and psychological empowerment between LGBQ and non-LGBQ youth of color. Journal of LGBT Youth, 20(1), 1–32. https://doi.org/pk9x

Lathabhavan, R., & Mishra, N. (2024). LGBTQ inclusion in the workplace: Examining the roles of climate, leadership, and psychological empowerment. Social Responsibility Journal, 20(8), 1891–1908. https://doi.org/pk9z

Le, H., Johnson, C. P., & Fujimoto, Y. (2020). Organizational justice and climate for inclusion. Personnel Review, 50(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/ghvdt6

Liddle, B. J., Luzzo, D. A., Hauenstein, A. L., & Schuck, K. (2004). Construction and validation of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered climate inventory. Journal of Career Assessment, 12(1), 33–50. https://doi.org/bs8rg9

Maji, S., Yadav, N., & Gupta, P. (2023). LGBTQ+ in workplace: A systematic review and reconsideration. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, 43(3), 313–360. https://doi.org/pk93

Markovic, L., Schönherr, D., Zandonella, M., Gil-Salmeron, A., Smith, L., McDermott, D., Yang, L., Dorner, T. E., Mües, H., & Grabovac, I. (2022). Associations between workplace characteristics and “outness” in LGBTI workers in Austria. Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 79(1), 10–16. https://doi.org/pk94

Mathew, J., & Selvi, U. (2007). Importance of organisational climate in contemporary management. Journal of Business Management, 6(2), 61–74. https://doi.org/pk95

Meyer, I. H. (1995). Minority stress and mental health in gay men. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 36(1), 38–56. https://doi.org/b52m28

Mills, S., & Oswin, N. (2024). Finding work in the age of LGBTQ+ equalities: Labor market experiences of queer and trans workers in deindustrializing cities. Economic Geography, 100(2), 170–190. https://doi.org/gt6hbw

Ng, W. Z., Yang, D. W. J., Sim, D., Ubalde, J., Conron, K. J., & Tan, R. (2024). Discrimination and harassment in the workplace: The lived experiences of Singaporean LGBTQ+ individuals. Diversity & Inclusion Research, 2(1), Article e70009. https://doi.org/pk96

Nowack, V., & Donahue, J. J. (2019). Outcomes associated with employee and organisational LGBT value discrepancies. Psychology & Sexuality, 11(1–2), 32–44. https://doi.org/ghvdp9

Oliveira, A., Pereira, H., & Alckmin-Carvalho, F. (2024). Occupational health, psychosocial risks and prevention factors in lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, intersex, asexual, and other populations: A narrative review. Societies, 14(4), Article 136. https://doi.org/pk97

Oliveira, A., Teixeira, I., Alckmin-Carvalho, F., & Pereira, H. (2025). Psychosocial determinants of occupational health through the lenses of gender identity and sexual orientation. Behavioral Sciences, 15(6), Article 234. https://doi.org/pk98

Opall, B. S. (2021). Motives in creating an LGBTQ inclusive work environment: A case study. Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management, 16(2), 237–260. https://doi.org/gkfhdd

Reetu, Yadav, A., & Redhu, K. (2020). Organizational climate and organizational effectiveness relationship: Mediating role of job satisfaction. International Journal of Advanced Science and Technology, 29(5), 2970–2982. https://bit.ly/4iX1XZB

Rivero-Díaz, M. L., Agulló-Tomás, E., & Llosa, J. A. (2020). Adaptation and validation of the LGBTCI to the Spanish LGBT working population. Journal of Career Assessment, 29(3), 422–441. https://doi.org/ghvdt9

Roberge, M. É., Xu, Q. J., Aydin, A. L., & Huang, W. R. (2021). An inclusive organizational climate: Conceptualization, antecedents, and multi-level consequences. American Journal of Management, 21(1), 1–15. http://bit.ly/3GMAsVe

Saleiro, S. P. (2021). The Portuguese rainbow: LGBTQI+ rights and experiences. Portuguese Journal of Social Science, 20(1), 111–116. https://doi.org/pk99

Sheridan, D., Zolobczuk, J. M., Huynh, K., & Lee, D. L. (2017). Workplace harassment and attitudes towards LGBT people: Differences across human service occupations in South Florida. Florida Public Health Review, 14(1), 1–12. https://bit.ly/3GLI0rg

Sibande, X., & Gobind, J. (2024, April). Diversity and inclusion in the South African telecommunications industry: An LGBTQIA+ employee perspective. In Proceedings of the International Conference on Gender Research (pp. 466–471). Academic Conferences International Limited. https://doi.org/pmbd

Theriault, D. (2017). Implementation of promising practices for LGBTQ inclusion: A multilevel process. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration, 35(2), 123–135. https://doi.org/d467

Ueno, K., Jackson, T. M., Ingram, R., Grace, J., & Saras, E. D. (2020). Sexual minority young adults’ construction of workplace acceptance in the era of diversity and inclusion. Social Currents, 7(1), 91–108. https://doi.org/gnkc85

Waldo, C. R. (1999). Working in a majority context: A structural model of heterosexism as minority stress in the workplace. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 46(2), 218–232. https://doi.org/ffjqqw

Webster, J. R., Adams, G. A., Maranto, C. L., Sawyer, K. B., & Thoroughgood, C. N. (2018). Workplace contextual supports for LGBT employees: A review, meta‐analysis, and agenda for future research. Human Resource Management, 57(1), 193–210. https://doi.org/ghtjw8

World Medical Association. (2013). World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki: Ethical principles for medical research involving human subjects. JAMA, 310(20), 2191–2194. https://doi.org/3cp

Yu, H., Ancheta, A. J., Flores, D., Bonett, S., Meanley, S., Choi, S. K., & Bauermeister, J. A. (2024). Nurse leaders’ recommendations for implementing LGBTQ+ inclusive practices in health systems. International Journal of Nursing Studies Advances, 7, Article 100262. https://doi.org/pmbc