Belonging at work, what the research tells us and what we can do about it

During the month of July, Disability Pride Month, we want to talk about belonging. Not just in a general sense, but what it actually feels like to belong at work, and what happens when people genuinely do.

Research from Diversity Council Australia’s Inclusion@Work Index gives us a clear picture of where Australian workplaces are right now for LGBTQIA+ employees who live with a disability, and while some of it is confronting, it also points to real, practical opportunities to do better.

What belonging looks like, and what gets in the way

For LGBTQIA+ workers, exclusion does not always take an obvious form. Much of it happens in small, everyday moments, being left out of a social gathering, having assumptions made about your abilities, being overlooked in a meeting.

These experiences might seem minor in isolation, but they accumulate.

Research found that LGBTQIA+ workers were significantly more likely than their non-LGBTQIA+ colleagues to experience this kind of everyday exclusion. The impact is real: lower job satisfaction, reduced engagement, poorer mental health and a greater likelihood of looking for a new job.

Importantly, this is not inevitable. The same research shows that in workplaces with strong, inclusive cultures, these gaps close significantly.

When disability is also part of the picture

For LGBTQIA+ people who also live with disability, belonging at work can feel even further out of reach, and yet it matters even more.

Research consistently shows that people with disability are less likely to feel a sense of belonging at work than those without. When you add an LGBTQIA+ identity to that experience, the layers of potential exclusion compound. Someone might feel welcomed in their team’s disability network but not seen as an LGBTQIA+ person, or vice versa. Or they might feel that neither network quite reflects their full experience.

This highlights the importance of workplaces taking an intersectional approach, one that does not treat disability inclusion and LGBTQIA+ inclusion as two separate programs, but understands that many people live at the overlap of both.

LGBTQIA+ people with disability also report lower rates of feeling mentally well at work and lower rates of feeling they can be themselves compared to both non-LGBTQIA+ workers and LGBTQIA+ workers without disability. Addressing this starts with acknowledgement, recognising that this group exists, that their experience is distinct, and that they deserve workplaces that are designed with them in mind.

The upside of getting inclusion right

Here is what we know about what happens when workplaces actively build belonging for LGBTQIA+ employees and people with disability:

• People are more engaged and motivated in their work
• Teams collaborate more effectively and innovate more freely
• Employees are more likely to stay, reducing turnover
• Customer service improves when teams reflect the communities they serve
• Organisations build a reputation that attracts diverse, talented people

Small things that make a big difference

Belonging is built through everyday moments, which means it can be built through everyday actions:

• Invite everyone, and mean it. Make sure social events are accessible and welcoming to the whole team
• Challenge assumptions. When you notice a colleague being overlooked, say something
• Use inclusive language that acknowledges both disability and LGBTQIA+ identities
• Create spaces where people with intersecting identities can connect and feel visible
• Ask, and then listen. Regular check-ins that genuinely invite honest feedback help organisations understand how people are really doing

At CoAct, we are passionate about connecting people with workplaces where they will truly belong. If you are looking for a role where you will be welcomed for who you are, including as an LGBTQIA+ person or someone living with disability, we would love to hear from you.

Get in touch with CoAct today.