Homophobic discrimination in the workplace has many guises, a new report has revealed.
According to research carried out by conciliation service Acas, discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation has reportedly taken the form of bullying, physical and verbal assault, as well as numerous examples of less favourable treatment by managers.
The report highlights the fact that between January 2004 and September 2006, a total of 470 people tribunal claims were brought against employers where the main allegation concerned discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.
Of the 470 claims, 70 per cent were made against private firms. In cases where bullying or harassment was alleged, the majority of claimants said that managers were aware of the situation and were often complicit in the mistreatment.
The report read: "Managers may not deal effectively with problems when they occur. This may be due to a lack of training or support from HR departments."
It also revealed that 70 per cent of the calls regarding sexual orientation discrimination to the Acas help-line were from men.
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