The LGBT Employee

Since the passing of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, discriminatory personnel actions or practices based on sexual orientation have been illegal in the Federal government. There is no federal law that prohibits this type of discrimination in private employment. However, seventeen states and the District of Columbia have laws that currently prohibit sexual orientation discrimination in private employment. Private employers within a state, county, or city with a law or ordinance prohibiting sexual orientation discrimination, must follow that law despite the fact that there is no federal law in place. 

Unfriendly work environments affect LGBT employees sense of safety and morale, and impact individual productivity as well as organizational effectiveness. The lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) employee may have to steer between two extremes stay in the closet (not disclose sexual orientation) to advance but suffer the stress of being less than authentic, or come out (reveal the fact, for example, that their life-parmers are of the same gender). Either way, LGBT employees may face prejudice that may not only preclude advancement but present day-to-day attitudinal problems on the part of co-workers—sometimes subtle, sometimes overt—that hamper productivity. 

While many private companies have voluntarily amended their policies to follow the Federal statute prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation (The Civil Rights Act of 1978 ), many have not yet done so. In certain areas the very idea of ensuring that LGBT engineers are offered the same rights and protections as their fellow employees remains 

DhrersKy by Design Guide to Fostering Diversity in the Civil Engineering Workforce 

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Like the LGBT employee, religious minorities sometimes face pressure— both internal and external—not to rock the boat by disclosing their non-normative beliefe or practices. These employees may choose to remain invisible (hide their religious beliefs and practices) or, alternatively, be subject to undue perceptions or prejudices about their religious beliefs. 

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