Originally published here

For a majority of LGBTQ workers, whether they can be honest about their sexual orientation or gender identity can mean the difference between staying at their jobs or finding new ones.

A new survey of 2,000 LGBTQ workers conducted by LinkedIn and YouGov found that for many workers, how workplace culture makes space for identity and self-expression can mean the difference between employee retention and turnover. Three in four respondents said it’s important that they work at a company where they feel comfortable expressing their identity, and 65% said they would leave their current job if they felt they could not do so. That extends to a company’s public response to anti-LGBTQ legislation — 36% respondents said they would leave their current job if their company didn’t speak out against discrimination.

For many of these employees, their resource groups prove a necessary lifeline. Seven in 10 people rely on such organizations to create that sense of belonging, especially as discrimination in the workplace persists. Half of respondents said they had heard jokes about LGBTQ people in their workplace, and an equal number said they don’t believe their company fosters LGBTQ employees’ success or growth.

The poll results come at a time when workers continue to quit their jobs, even as fears about an impending recession mount. One-third of American workers said they were considering quitting their job in the next six to 12 months, according to a survey by the human-resources firm Mercer.

Company executives are also feeling a growing pressure to weigh in on social issues, especially as legislative attempts to restrict or block abortion and LGBTQ rights continue apace. The Walt Disney Co. faced employee pressure in March after the entertainment giant first refused to respond publicly to a Florida bill critics have dubbed the “Don’t Say Gay” law. Netflix Inc. faced an employee walkout last year after it aired a standup special by comedian Dave Chappelle that included jokes made at the expense of transgender people.

“Companies must see LGBTQ+ rights as a critical business issue, taking a stand and creating spaces of belonging for their workforce,” said Rosanna Durruthy, the Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging at LinkedIn.

She pointed to the wave of anti-LGBTQ legislation being introduced and passed in state legislators as proof that “speaking out, showing solidarity, and supporting the LGBTQ+ community is more important than ever. And it needs to happen 365 days a year.”

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