Even LGBT workers in high-ranking executive positions in Florida can face discrimination or mistreatment on the job. This is illustrated in the case of one former Goldman Sachs vice president who is suing the financial firm after being fired by the investment bank. The former executive was a leader in the company’s internal LGBT network and says that when he complained about discrimination in the workplace, he was targeted for retaliation and lost his job. Among other incidents, he said that he was excluded from a key conference call with a client because a supervisor said his voice “sounded too gay.”
The lawsuit reflects statistics reported by the Human Rights Campaign in 2018, which found that 53% of LGBT employees heard discriminatory jokes in the workplace. The former Goldman Sachs banker complained to the company’s employee relations department, listing incidents of employment discrimination. He said that he suddenly received unwarranted and unexpected criticism in his next performance review and accused the company of creating a paper trail to justify his firing in retaliation for his complaint. He said that over the eight years he worked for the company, he received consistently excellent performance reviews until he began filing his complaints.
The company denied the claims in the lawsuit, saying that the former employee’s claims had no merit. Goldman Sachs said that it was “proud” of the LGBT community at its workplace. The company has taken public positions boasting about its LGBT-friendly policies and said that 5% of its partners identified as such. Its health insurance policies cover gender-related care for transgender employees.
However, even companies with a broad reputation for welcoming environments can be home to discriminatory conduct targeting LGBT workers. People facing discriminatory treatment on the job may consult with a lawyer for Boca Raton, Florida, LGBT workplace discrimination assistance.
