June 15th, 2023 is a significant date for highlighting wage disparities and LGBTQIA+ workplace challenges as Equal Pay Today partners with the LGBTQIA+ community to draw attention to discrimination. While the gender pay gap is regularly analyzed, accurate data on the LGBTQIA+ pay gap is not easily available.
Taking place during Pride Month, LGBTQIA+ Equal Pay Awareness Day recognizes both the pay gap and the historical lack of data, which makes it difficult to understand the extent of wage disparities for the community. The limited data on the LGBTQIA+ pay gap includes the following:
As mentioned, a major obstacle to wider LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the workplace and society is the slow progress towards data reporting. In addition, the Human Rights Campaign notes that “basic freedoms” for LGBTQIA+ people are missing in 29 states.
Steps are being taken to ensure workplace equality and promote LGBTQIA+ rights in society, however. In June 2022, the House passed the LGBTQIA+ Data Inclusion Act. Bill HR 4176 would require federal agencies to incorporate questions relating to sexual orientation and gender identity when gathering demographic data. Bill HR 5: The Equality Act, which was passed by the House in 2021, would prevent LGBTQIA+ discrimination in employment, housing and other services.
Further, January 2023 saw the Biden-Harris administration release the first Federal Evidence Agenda on LGBTQIA+ equity, providing a roadmap for federal agencies to gather vital data and evidence needed to improve the lives of LGBTQIA+ Americans. It is an important step in improving LGBTQIA+ rights and inclusion, however, the National Women’s Law Center called for an expanded collection of data to create a “fuller, more intersectional picture of the economic realities facing LGBTIA+ communities.”
In March 2023, the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation published a study into the benefits of LGBTQIA+ workplace inclusion to encourage businesses to develop more inclusive practices. Its findings highlight the following benefits for employers embracing workplace diversity:
As we have previously highlighted, pay transparency legislation is constantly evolving in the US and globally, and pay equity must become a priority for employers in 2023.
In a groundbreaking move, the EU incorporated measures to specifically identify the LGBTQIA+ pay gap by including non-binary people, and gender-neutral language and an intersectional lens in its Pay Transparency Directive.
In the UK, LGBTQIA+ rights charity, Stonewall publishes an annual Top 100 Employers list compiled from its voluntary Workplace Equality Index to encourage and enable employers to measure and improve their workplace diversity and inclusion. PwC in the UK also published its first LGBTQIA+ pay gap data in 2022. These are small, yet significant, steps.
The global movement towards true workplace equality is gathering momentum. Adopting the following strategies can enhance LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the workplace:
Trusaic PayParity conducts a pay equity audit across your workforce at the intersection of factors such as gender, race/ethnicity, age, and disability, identifying risk areas for remediation and pay gaps within every employee group and at every level in your organization.
Every employer has a part to play in creating a more inclusive society. At Trusaic, we believe in equal pay advocacy and in creating a better working world for all. Our goals include enabling employers to achieve pay equity and foster a more diverse and inclusive workforce. When you partner with us we help you to interpret your data and create actionable strategies that enable you to take better care of your employees.
Implement a strategy to identify and close the LGBTQIA+ pay gap. Talk to one of our pay equity experts today.
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