Intersections at work

29 aPPenDiX C: This project focused on investigating the following two research questions: 1. How do the cultural backgrounds of LGBTQ people impact on their experience at work? 2. What evidence-based actions can organisations take to create more workplaces which are more inclusive of LGBTQ workers from culturally diverse backgrounds? Two sources of evidence were drawn on: industry and academic research, and an online survey. We conducted an extensive review of international and national academic and industry research to establish what it tells us about the experiences of culturally diverse LGBTQ people in workplaces. Online Survey. We conducted an online survey in November 2019 to provide LGBTQ workers from a diversity of backgrounds with the opportunity to offer their insights. The survey focussed on two main questions (i) What is your experience of being a culturally diverse LGBTIQ+ employee? To what extent has it impacted on your experience at work – whether positive, negative or not at all?; and (ii) What could be done differently to provide a more inclusive work environment for culturally diverse LGBTIQ+ employees such as yourself?; as well as demographic information about participants. We used ACON’s R ecommended Sexuality and Gender 20 Indicators to capture information about the gender identity and sexual orientation of participants. A defining feature of this research was that the survey recognised that an employees’ cultural identity may be informed by multiple rather than only one prevailing ethnicity, and so it collected data on up to two different cultural/ethnic groups that an employee may identify with. This approach to measuring cultural background respects the fact that as many as 30% of Australian workers identify with more than one cultural background and they can find it difficult to specify just one cultural identity, ethnicity, or cultural background in surveys. Moreover, allowing people to describe their cultural background in more than one way (e.g. Australian-Greek rather than just Australian) also enables their response to capture not just how they identify but also how others may perceive them to identify. Sample. The survey was administered using a non-probability/convenience sampling method. Online sampling is an established method in reaching out to and recruiting respondents from hard to reach and stigmatised groups such as LGBT people. 21 The survey was distributed through Pride in Diversity and DCA’s member email distribution list, trusted social media groups for LGBTQ people, sponsor employee resource groups, cultural community groups and other LGBTIQ+ community organisations. Findings are based on the responses from 193 LGBTQ workers based in Australia who completed the survey (see Appendix C for Survey Sample Characteristics). Analysis. Thematic analysis was conducted on the survey questions. Pride in Diversity provided insights from their AWEI survey data in relation to themes that emerged. For information about the AWEI survey and methodology see www.PID-awei.com.au . methodology.