Working Out : Workplace’s influence on the coming-out of gay employees and its impact on their work and working environment.

Abstract: LGBT rights and situation have globally improved significantly, especially in the past few decades. However, being a gay employee is not always easy and though sexuality is a private matter, there is no shock in admitting that private matters are what define us along with our environments, both personal and professional. In addition, employees are at the core of firms’ business results and overall performances. Yet, the topic lacks interest from academics. Though studies focus on drivers on coming out, or a general link between good working environments and good performance, very limited papers research into what drives gay employees to come out in the workplace or what role they may play in firms let alone the relationship between the two. Therefore, this study, aims to shed some light onto the factors influencing gay employees to reveal their sexual orientation, and evaluate how this plays a role and impact an organisation’s operations. Based on the results of the study, it appears that Gay employees can be influenced to come out based on the firm’s environment and culture but also out of their own desires (wanting to keep their personal life private regardless of their sexuality) but surprisingly, a vast majority of the respondents involved considered themselves openly gay, hence providing valuable data. The research has demonstrated that gay employees’ coming-out seems to impact the firm on four levels: work quality, working conditions, work relations and perceived stress level.