As we stride into Pride Month, working for equitable companies is top of mind for many job seekers and employees. Despite some progress being made, LGBTQ+ employees still face an abundance of challenges at work, making their workplace experience less than ideal. In fact, Glassdoor data shows that LGBTQ+ employees are less satisfied at work compared to their non-LGBTQ+ counterparts, and while certain companies and industries are highly rated by LGBTQ+ employees, others still have progress to make. For anyone wanting to work for a company that truly celebrates Pride Month, Glassdoor has made it easier than ever to research companies and see how LGBTQ+ employees really feel about their workplaces.
What We Did
Last year, to help improve equity in the workplace, Glassdoor launched new Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) products and began allowing users to voluntarily share their demographic information. This allowed LGBTQ+ employees, and other groups, to see company ratings and pay data according to other LGBTQ+ employees within a specific company. Today, the Glassdoor Economic Research team examined U.S.-based employee reviews from users who anonymously shared both their sexual orientation on Glassdoor and submitted a 1-to-5 star rating of their current or former employer as of 5/3/21.
LGBTQ+ Employees are Less Satisfied at Work
LGBTQ+ employees gave their companies an average overall company rating of 3.27 stars out of 5 – that’s below the average overall rating for non-LGBTQ+ employees (3.47). And, across Glassdoor’s six workplace factor ratings, we see that LGBTQ+ employees are less satisfied with their companies. Most notably, LGBTQ+ employees are less satisfied with the company’s Senior Leadership (2.88), along with Career Opportunities (3.03) and Compensation & Benefits (3.13) when compared to non-LGBTQ+ employees.
“Unfortunately, it’s not surprising to see that LGBTQ+ employees rate their workplace experiences lower across the board when compared to non-LGBTQ+ employees,” said Scott Dobroski, VP of Corporate Communications and a member of Glassdoor’s LGBTQ+ employee resource group. “While many companies will turn their logos and social profiles to rainbows for Pride Month, creating a more equitable company is more than just symbolic or superficial moves. It’s about action. Company leaders should take time to solicit feedback from their LGBTQ+ employees to better understand what’s working well and what needs improvement to further support their workers.”
Glassdoor Economic Research - Includes at least 3,000 LGBTQ+ ratings for each workplace factor rating as of 5/3/21.
Industries Rooted in Creating Change are More Highly Rated by LGBTQ+ Employees
When we take a closer look at how LGBTQ+ employees rate their companies, Glassdoor data shows LGBTQ+ employees are more satisfied working in industries recognized for giving back and creating change. LGBTQ+ employees rated companies in Government the highest, with an average overall rating of 3.74 out of 5 stars, followed by Education (3.69) and Non-Profit (3.47). Conversely, LGBTQ+ employees rated companies in Telecommunications the lowest with an average overall company rating of 2.93, followed by Health Care (3.02) and Business Services (3.07). Other notable industries, like Internet Technology, landed in the middle of the pack, with a 3.33 rating from LGBTQ+ employees. Each industry listed has over 100 ratings from LGBTQ+ employees.
How Companies Compare According to LGBTQ+ Employees
Among the companies with at least 25 ratings from LGBTQ+ employees, we also examined how LGBTQ+ employees rate their companies overall. Among the 10 companies listed below, LGBTQ+ employees are more satisfied at four companies, including Kroger and Walgreens, and less satisfied at six, including Amazon and Target. In addition, we see that LGBTQ+ employees at Apple rate their employer the highest (4.14), while LGBTQ+ employees at Wells Fargo rate their employer the lowest (2.65) among this group.
“Choosing where to work is an incredibly important and personal decision, especially for those who identify as LGBTQ+,” said Dobroski. “There are a variety of factors that can make their work experiences potentially more challenging, from differences in health care coverage to cases of employment discrimination and more. To find a company that is truly the right fit, we encourage job seekers to go deeper into the employee experience on Glassdoor and leverage LGBTQ+ company ratings and pay data to help them make more informed decisions about where to work.”
| Company | Average Overall Rating by LGBTQ+ Employees | Average Overall Rating by Non-LGBTQ+ Employees |
| Amazon | 2.85 | 3.45 |
| Apple | 4.14 | 4.05 |
| Kroger | 3.29 | 3.20 |
| McDonald's | 3.21 | 3.14 |
| Starbucks | 3.56 | 3.85 |
| Target | 3.31 | 3.67 |
| The Home Depot | 3.29 | 3.67 |
| Walgreens | 3.19 | 2.97 |
| Walmart | 2.70 | 3.20 |
| Wells Fargo | 2.65 | 3.27 |
Glassdoor Economic Research - Includes at least 25 LGBTQ+ ratings per company as of 5/3/21.
LGBTQ+ Employees Deserve to Be Themselves Work
At Glassdoor, our mission is to help people everywhere find a job and a company they love, and that includes helping people find companies where they can be their authentic selves at work. We believe research is a critical first step for finding the right company, and there are millions of insights and resources on Glassdoor to make it easier. Glassdoor also published two free guides that can help LGBTQ+ professionals and employers wanting to create a more inclusive workplace for LGBTQ+ employees.
