The disclosure dilemma for gay men and lesbians: "Coming out" at work.

Abstract

This study examined disclosing sexual orientation at work for 220 gay men and 159 lesbians. Self-acceptance, the centrality of one's identity, how "out" one is to friends and family, employer policies, and perceived employer gay-supportiveness were associated with disclosure behaviors at work for gay/lesbian employees. Disclosing at work and working for an organization perceived to be more gay supportive was related to higher job satisfaction and lower job anxiety. Reactions of coworkers to gay or lesbian workers mediated the relationship between disclosure and gay/lesbian workers' job attitudes. Implications and solutions for management are discussed.

Voice, silence, and diversity in 21st century organizations: Strategies for inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender employees

“…Those who were out also had lower conflict between work and home, lower role ambiguity, and lower role conflict (Day & Schoenrade, 1997). Decisions about disclosure are related to perceptions of the climate for GLBT employees, including perceived managerial and peer attitudes and organizational policies (Griffith & Hebl, 2002;Huffman, Watrous-Rodriguez, & King, 2008;Ragins, 2008).…”

Lessening the difference is more – the relationship between diversity management and the perceived organizational climate for gay men and lesbians

“…Building on previously conducted research on the perceived organizational climate for lesbian and gay employees and its impact on individuals' workplace behavior Bowen and Blackmon 2003;Driscoll et al 1996;Griffith and Hebl 2002;Lyons et al 2005;Ng et al 2012;Ragins and Joseph 2004;Waldo 1999) this article demonstrates for the first time in a comprehensive way the relationship between concrete organizational diversity practices and psychological climate perceptions, regardless of whether as part of a diversity management strategy or as isolated practices.…”

“…This is due to directive 2000/78/EC of the European Council, and makes antidiscrimination guidelines on sexual orientation largely irrelevant for European diversity management practice, as they are, in any case, obligatory, at least in terms of regulating everyday interaction between employees or between employees and supervisors. More generally, it was shown that the feeling of being supported by the employing organization in issues that are related to homosexuality in the workplace (Griffith and Hebl 2002), and especially the experienced support of direct supervisors (Huffman et al 2008), positively affects individuals' job satisfaction. The perception of general compatibility between employee and organization seems to be more relevant for homosexual employees than for heterosexuals (Lyons et al 2005).…”

“…The organizational climate, at least as a psychological climate, can be seen, in the perception of the gay or lesbian employee, as the representation of the prevalent intensity of perceived barriers, discriminations or supporting factors at his or her everyday work in his or her specific workplace. Thus the organizational climate works as a mediating variable between an individual's workplace behavior, organizational performance, individual perceptions and human resource management practices, such as diversity management (Button 2004;Griffith and Hebl 2002;Waldo 1999). "Employees have thousands, if not millions, of seemingly isolated experiences as they go about their work.…”

Narrative, psychology and the politics of sexual identity in the United States: from ‘sickness’ to ‘species’ to ‘subject’

“…Ragins & Cornwell, 2001) and disclosure at work (e.g. Griffith & Hebl, 2002;Ragins, Singh, & Cornwell, 2007) and sexual risk behaviour among men (e.g. McCoul & Haslam, 2001;Peterson & Bakeman, 2006).…”