Abstract
On LGBTQ+ STEM Day we want to look at how inclusive workplaces really are. Truly inclusive workplaces enable their employees to reach their full potential. A study found that employees in inclusive environments bring in over £70,000 per year more to an organisation than those individuals who feel they can’t be themselves. How inclusive are engineering workplaces? In the UK, 78% of heterosexual respondents describe engineering culture as inclusive but only 53% of lesbian and 56% of gay engineers would say the same. Does a lack of awareness and unconscious biases affect how workplaces or roles continue to be structured? Lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer role models are needed to break the stereotype of what an engineer looks like. We must commit to tackling insensitivity, inequality and homophobia in workplaces.
