Part A
Sexual orientation – An attitude survey
Confidential
This questionnaire is part of a three part pack which aims to indicate whether people in your organisation are treated fairly regardless of their sexual orientation and transgender status. Part B (scoring sheet) and C (guidance) are the other two parts of the pack. Completed questionnaires should be returned to whoever is collecting this data in your organisation who will use Part B to collate an organisation wide score. Part C of the pack explains what the score may mean for your organisation.
Sexual Orientation
This is a short questionnaire about attitudes to sexual orientation (lesbian, gay and bisexual) in your organisation. It should take about ten minutes to complete. Answer all the questions by ticking the box that best reflects your view, return the completed form anonymously as requested above.
The completed questionnaires will be collated and analysed show how your organisation deals with sexual orientation and indicate whether it complies with equality laws.
Useful definitions
· The definition of a lesbian is a woman who is attracted sexually to other women
· The definition of gay is a man attracted sexually to other men
· The definition of bisexual is an individual attracted sexually to both men and women
· The definition of heterosexual is an individual attracted to the opposite sex
Would you have known this prior to filling out this questionnaire?
Yes No
How many people from the UK’s 60 million population do you think are gay, lesbian or bisexual?
1.4 million 2.5 million 3.6 million
For the correct answer see end of the sexual orientation survey.
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In this section please tick the box that best reflects experience at your workplace and say whether or not each of the following happens
1. Do you use nick names at work, tease, or tell jokes about other members of staff?
Yes No
1a. Do your colleagues use nick names, tease, or tell jokes about other members of staff?
Yes No
2. Are you more likely to have nick names, tease, or tell jokes about other members of staff if you think they are or might be lesbian, gay or bisexual?
Yes No
2a. Are your colleagues more likely to have nick names, tease, or tell jokes about other members of staff if they are or might be lesbian, gay or bisexual?
Yes No
3. Have you ever been called names or teased at work in this organisation because you have been seen as being lesbian, gay or bisexual?
Yes No
3a. If yes, would you complain to those responsible?
Yes No
3b. Or to management?
Yes No
4. Does your workplace display either, lesbian and gay posters advertising specific events, or positive lesbian and gay images or the rainbow flag (the gay pride flag) on notice boards?
Yes No
5. Does your workplace have an equality and diversity policy?
Yes No Not sure
5a If yes, does your equality and/or diversity policy include references to lesbian, gay or bisexual staff?
Yes No Not sure
6. Does your organisation regularly consult you to get your opinions about equality and diversity issues in your workplace?
Yes No
7. Have you had Equality and diversity training at your current workplace?
Yes No
8. Does your workplace have someone with responsibility for equality and diversity issues?
Yes No Not sure
9. Does your workplace have specific support groups with regard to lesbian, gay and bisexual employees?
Yes No Not sure
In this section please tick whether you agree or do not agree with the statements (tick only one box please)
10. It is ok to tell jokes or take part in banter relating to lesbian, gay or bisexual people
Agree Don’t agree Not sure
11. My organisation takes seriously any lesbian, gay or bisexual name calling
Agree Don’t agree Not sure
12. People in my organisation can be open about being lesbian, gay or bisexual.
Agree Don’t agree Not sure
13. It is ok to take same sex partners to work social events (i.e. organised nights out)
Agree Don’t agree Not sure
14. My organisation is a welcoming place for individuals who are lesbian, gay, or bisexual
Agree Don’t agree Not sure
15. It is ok to have support groups for lesbian, gay and bisexual employees
Agree Don’t agree Not sure
16. Staff who feel they are being harassed or bullied because they are lesbian, gay or bisexual can approach a member of management
Agree Don’t agree Not sure
17. My organisation offers the same benefits (e.g. adoption leave, bereavement leave, healthcare, etc.) to same sex couples as it does to heterosexual couples
Agree Don’t agree Not sure
18. Which of the following does your organisation use to make staff aware of the things they can do if they feel they have been discriminated against, harassed or victimised because they might be lesbian, gay or bisexual?
Yes / No / Not sureEquality and diversity policy
Bullying and harassment policy
Staff induction events
Information on notice boards/ web pages/ Company newsletters/ etc.
Through staff consultation
19. Your section or team:
Just over 6% or approximately 3.6 million individuals are gay or lesbian (GAY.COM 12th December 2005)
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Gender Recognition – An attitude survey
Gender Recognition Act 2004
The aim of this questionnaire is to indicate whether people working in your organisation who have undergone a sex change are respected and dealt with in a dignified way. It’s best not to think too long about the questions and statements below; follow your initial feeling.
It should take about five minutes to complete the questionnaire. Answer all the questions by ticking the box that best reflects your view, return the completed form anonymously to whoever is doing the survey.
The completed questionnaires will be collated and analysed to indicate how your organisation deals with people who have undergone a sex change and whether it complies with equality laws.
Definitions
The definition of transgender is when an individual changes their sex from male to female or female to male (sex change), because they feel that their bodies are different from how they feel about their sexual identity.
Gender reassignment is the medical procedure of changing a male into a female or a female into a male so that their bodies match their gender identity.
Would you have known this prior to filling out this questionnaire?
Yes No
How many people from the UK’s 60 million population do you think have undergone gender reassignment?
1,000 5,000 25,000
For the correct answer see end of the gender recognition survey.
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In this section please tick the box that best reflects experience at your workplace and say whether or not each of the following happens.
1. Do you use nick names at work tease, or tell jokes about other members of staff?
Yes No
1a. Do your colleagues use nick names, tease, or tell jokes about other members of staff?
Yes No
2. Are you more likely to have nick names, tease, or tell jokes about other members of staff if you think they have had or are having a sex change?
Yes No
2a. Are your colleagues more likely to have nick names, tease, or tell jokes about other members of staff if they have had or are having a sex change?
Yes No
3. My organisation has a policy for staff that outlines the support structures available to staff who have undergone or are undergoing gender reassignment?
Yes No Not sure
3a. My work colleagues would support someone in my organisation that is undergoing ‘gender reassignment’?
Agree Don’t agree Not sure
4. My management would support someone in my organisation that is undergoing ‘gender reassignment’?
Agree Don’t agree Not sure
5. My organisation is a welcoming place for someone undergoing ‘gender reassignment’?
Agree Don’t agree Not sure
6. It is ok to have transgender people in my workplace?
Yes No Not sure
7. It is a good idea to have support groups in my organisation for transgender people?
Yes No Not sure
8. My organisation should have somebody who would provide support for work colleagues during gender reassignment?
Agree Don’t agree Not sure
9. It is ok for someone changing from one gender (for example male to female) to another to use the facilities (including toilets) of that new gender?
Agree Don’t agree Not sure
There are 5,000 transgender individuals in the UK.
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About this questionnaire and what it’s designed to do
The aim of this questionnaire is to indicate whether people are likely to be treated fairly regardless of their sexual orientation or transgender status (i.e. where they have had a sex change).
This is an informal ‘audit tool’ designed as a first step, to provide you with insight into you and your organisation. Its focus is on equality of opportunity in the workplace whatever people’s sexual orientation or transgender status following legislation introduced in 1999, 2003 and 2004. The results indicate whether your organisation is probably complying with the law on sexual orientation and transgender status - there is another audit tool for the religious belief aspects of the law.
This audit is definitely not a test; it’s designed to bring a sensitive topic out into the open and allow you to gauge whether your organisation protects basic equal rights at work whatever the individual’s sexual orientation/gender status in their personal lives (for example, equal pay, protection from discrimination in promotion, dignity, right to privacy, time off, a right to be informed about change and if possible consulted).
The laws above apply to all organisations in Great Britain; you can find more information about them and advice about what you can do within your organisation to encourage compliance on the Acas website, or you can call one of the regional Acas offices.
We hope you’ve found the exercise.
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