Impact case study database

Drydakis’ ( R1-6) underpinning research on workplace issues related to sexual-orientation and gender-identity minorities has:

• been utilized and adopted by international institutions and organisations in their policy documents (EC, OECD and World Bank)

• informed the development and subsequent implementation of new workplace policies in Canada

• led to the production of the first UK workplace Guidance on gender identity with demonstrable positive effects for organisations and their employees

• informed gender and anti-bullying school-age education, leading to increased employment for sexual orientation and gender-identity minorities in the UK.

Informing data and shaping new workplace policy recommendations for the EC, OECD, World Bank and Canada’s Public Service Alliance

Drydakis’ research on sexual orientation and trans identity led to a commission from the World Bank (Job Knowledge Platform Programme: IZA World of Labour) in 2014 and 2017 to evaluate the global workplace experiences of LGBT employees ( S1). Based on data derived from wage, unemployment and job-satisfaction meta-analyses, the publication of these reports led to a series of recommendations introduced into World Bank/IZA World of Labour guidance and policy on this topic ( S1):

• Schools to adopt sexual orientation anti-discrimination education

• Organisations to collect and register sensitive data, ensuring that personal information reflects employees’ self-defined identities

• To ensure privacy for trans staff in relation to medical history and naming history

• To ensure that uniforms, where required, are flexible and not gender-specific

• To ensure the provision of gender inclusive facilities.

The 2014 World Bank/IZA World of Labor study ( S1), along with R1-4 were used by the OECD in a 2017 report on ways to reduce workplace biases against sexual-orientation and gender-identity minorities. The report states that ‘it would be enlightening’ to take up Drydakis’ techniques, approaches and evaluations for further research on the theme and policy actions’ ( S2, paragraph 256, page 109). The OECD also invited Drydakis to give a 2017 address to the Deputy Director of Employment, Labour and Social Affairs at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and officers from the European Agency for Human Rights. This examined recent advances in the economics of employment discrimination against sexual-orientation and trans people ( S3). The official statistics agency in Sweden (Statistics Sweden) used Drydakis’ recommendations ( S1) and OECD’s document ( S2) to set up procedures for asking about sexual identity for the 2019 National Health Interview Survey ( S4).

R1-3 provided evidence on three European countries (UK, Cyprus and Greece) and shaped the conclusions of a 2016 report of the EC Agency for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, which evaluated the policy developments needed to address obstacles that LGBT encounter in the labour market ( S5). The 2020 European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights report indicated that in 2019 the percentage of sexual minorities who felt discriminated against when looking for work reduced by 18% compared to 2012 ( S6). These positive report findings demonstrate the value of policy interventions in the OECD and EU-28, which have been influenced by Drydakis’ research.

R5 (itself informed by S1 and R1-4), was the sole academic source used to shape the first Canadian Guide on trans people’s work outcomes by the Public Service Alliance of Canada ( S7), the largest labour union in the country, published in 2018. This makes recommendations to organisations to improve trans people’s employment outcomes. Drydakis’ research informed the Guide’s transition plan template, a series of recommendations for workplace protection actions, along with recommendations that support the training of organisations, unions, managers and colleagues in dealing with trans issues ( S7).

Advising on government policies leading to benefits for gender-identity minorities and employers in the UK

Between 2014 and 2015 Drydakis provided expert knowledge and consultancy to:

• The Government Equalities Office

• Inclusive Employers (the UK leading organisation for employers looking to build inclusive workplaces)

Drydakis’ research underpinned his engagement with these organisations as they prepared the first UK Guidance on trans workplace issues ( S8 page 3). Anglia Ruskin University was the only university to be invited to collaborate with the Government Equalities Office ( S8 page 3) on this Guidance, providing research informed recommendations based on Drydakis’ studies ( R1-4). Several sections in the Guidance have been shaped by this research:

• Recommendations on organisational culture, values, and awareness, emphasising the role of diversity management, positive actions, and measures of workplace climate in improving trans people’s engagement with work, loyalty and performance.

• Advice on how to represent inclusiveness on companies’ websites and branding.

• Guidance for human resources departments on recruitment polices to enable organisations to secure the best possible applicants regardless of their gender identity.

• Advice on retention policies, including details of key milestones for managers before and after trans people’s transition.

Since 2015, this Guidance has been implemented by 110 public and private organisations including the Bank of England, Co-operative Bank, House of Lords, NHS Digital, Nestle, Sky, Sony and Volkswagen. According to an evaluation study in 2019 ( S9), drawing on information from 112 regional departments across the UK, the Guidance has positively impacted organisational culture and increased well-being for gender identity minorities.

By implementing this Guidance, 90% of human resources managers indicated that it has assisted their organizations in creating a more inclusive culture. 100% stated that the Guidance enabled their organizations to make more inclusive recruitment decisions for gender identity minority applicants, and 83% indicated that it has positively affected the corporate profile of their organizations ( S9). At least half of these managers indicated that the Guidance has positively affected trans employees’ and managers’ behaviours, improving performance, fostering collegiality and reducing complaints ( S9). This evidence also indicates that the Guidance has had a positive influence on the mental health of trans people: 80% felt more accepted and valued by the Government, and 50% reported higher self-esteem and self-respect resulting from the Guidance’s promotion of inclusivity in the workplace ( S9).

Informing gender and anti-bullying school-age education leading to increased employment for sexual orientation and gender-identity minorities in the UK

R2 emphasized the importance of reducing negative school experiences for minority population groups in schools and the long-term benefits of this for their employment and income. This research also set out a series of policy recommendations aiming to educate and reduce discrimination through the introduction of sensitivity and awareness training for school staff. This research and these recommendations have influenced a range of policy action and positive workplace outcomes:

• In 2015 R2 informed the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) recommendations, which called for effective practices to transform the educational outcomes of sexual minority pupils of school-age ( S10a).

• In 2016 the UK Department of Education addressed the PISA recommendations ( S10a) in the PISA National Report for England ( S10b) and introduced anti-discrimination interventions in schools.

• In 2019 the Department of Education acknowledged the success of the trials ( S10c), and gender education became compulsory in all secondary schools in the UK ( S10c).

The long-term impact of the anti-discrimination interventions in schools has been evidenced in a 2020 study consisting of a sample of 4,000 observations of young people up to the age of 24. The study assessed that the gender and anti-bullying educational interventions in schools have resulted in a 14% employment increase for sexual and gender identity minorities ( S10d).