Rockway Institute In the News

Costs of Disclosure Sirius Satellite Radio - Out Q Radio (Channel 109) November 1, 2007

Anchor: A new report says closeted gays are a lot less productive in the workplace than those who are open with their orientation. In their study, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Rice University researchers conclude that for gays in non-supportive workplaces, the costs of non-disclosure were significant.

Robert-Jay Greene is the executive director of gay think tank Rockway Institute. He says a gay friendly workplace is a better workplace.

Robert-Jay Green: People who are more comfortable, who feel safer being out in their workplace are able to devote more of their emotional energy to their work. They show greater involvement in their work, greater satisfaction in their work... So essentially employers get a happier, more involved, more committed workforce.
 
Anchor: The study is called “Making the Invisible Visible: Fear and Disclosure of Sexual Orientation at Work,” and was published in The Journal of Applied Psychology. In it, researchers surveyed more than 500 gay, lesbian, and bi-sexual employees nationwide. They found that fears about coming out to coworkers had an "overwhelmingly negative relationship" with their career and workplace experiences and psychological well-being.