A new report from InterEngineering and Conservative MP Alec Shelbrooke shows that homophobia and transphobia in the engineering industry cost the British economy upwards of £11.2 billion each year, due to reductions in productivity.
According to the report, a full 53% of workers in the engineering sector were not open about their sexuality on the job, compared to 34% in the general workforce. It’s estimated that remaining in the closet at work can reduce an individual’s productivity by 30%.
Out Leadership Global Advisory Board Member Lord Browne of Madingley, the former chief executive of BP, praised the report, noting that during his career “hiding my sexuality made me deeply unhappy, and I was a more reserved leader as a result.” He further stated that the report will “help our engineering industry become a champion of LGBT inclusion and an even greater competitive force as a result.”