Self-Identification of GLBT Employees
Unlike other diversity categories, such as race and gender, employers are not required to collect statistics on the number of GLBT people they employ. Employers have sought to determine the number of their employees who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender while balancing privacy concerns. Some employers use their GLBT employee group numbers to provide estimates, but this method is limited by the scope of such voluntary groups over a highly dispersed workforce. More recently, employers have gathered statistics through anonymous employee engagement or satisfaction surveys, which can include upward of 100 questions.
Employee engagement surveys can include questions that allow GLBT employees to self-identify based on sexual orientation or gender identity. This is almost always done anonymously to ensure employee privacy, but GLBT employees may nonetheless remain fearful of the repercussions of disclosure.
In the 2008 HRC Corporate Equality Index survey of 519 employers, 141 use surveys or other tools that allow employees to voluntarily disclose their sexual orientation or gender identity, compared with just 17 percent in the previous year.
