Gay civil servants ‘50% more likely’ than straight colleagues to get promoted
Gay civil servants are “50 per cent more likely” to be promoted over their heterosexual peers in the Scottish Government, official statistics indicate.
A diversity report has revealed that almost a fifth (18.9 per cent) of lesbian, gay and bisexual civil servants had a “substantive” promotion last year in the SNP-led Government.
Meanwhile, only 12.8 per cent of their straight colleagues received the same reward – meaning that LGB staff were 47.7 per cent more likely to get promoted.
Additionally, further research included within the report showed that 10 per cent of the regional government was gay – although only 5.2 per cent of the wider population between the age of 16 and 64 fell within the same category.
Gay civil servants are “50 per cent more likely” to be promoted over their heterosexual peers in the Scottish Government, official statistics indicate
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The report said this “high representation is likely to continue, due to the high representation of LGB+ staff among new staff joining the Scottish Government”.
Yet the same analysis highlighted that non-religious applicants were more likely to join the Scottish workforce than Christians.
The statistics were sourced from the Civil Service People Survey – which is a survey carried out across the whole of the British workforce each year.
The questionnaire seeks to analyse engagement, inclusion, bullying, harassment and discrimination levels according to age, gender, transgender or cisgender status, disability, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and socio-economic background.
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Performance of workers are analysed and monitored as well.
In 2024, 51.8 per cent of LGBT staff were “highly effective” or “exceptional” while a higher percentage of 55.5 per cent of straight civil servants achieved the same.
Transgender employees compose a similar portion of the Scottish civil service as they do in the wider Scottish population who fall within the age bracket of 16 and 64.
However, the report has added that “numbers are too low to explore whether this is true at all pay grades”.
The report has also revealed that 10.6 working days are lost as sick leave or absences for transgender individuals – or employees with a history of trans status (Stock)
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The report has also revealed that 10.6 working days are lost as sick leave or absences for transgender individuals – or employees with a history of trans status.
Meanwhile, only 7.2 days were lost for the same reason by those who are not transgender.
The Scottish Government has maintained that it is “committed to increasing the diversity of its staff”.
A spokesman has also said that such characteristics associated with diversity is “not available to hiring managers at any point in the recruitment process”.
