Czechia among EU countries with greatest workplace inclusivity progress

As Pride Month kicks off, digital public relations agency Reboot Online has released data on the most inclusive European countries for LGBTQ+ professionals. The research, which builds on a similar analysis conducted in 2019, aims to identify the regions that have made the most significant strides in fostering a welcoming and equitable environment for the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace.

Reboot Online’s study relied on data from the LGBTIQ Survey III conducted by the European Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA). The researchers focused on three key metrics: openness at work, job seeker/workplace discrimination, and harassment. Each factor was ranked on a scale of 0 to 10, with higher scores indicating a more favorable environment for LGBTQ+ workers.

The study’s findings saw some countries emerging as clear leaders while others still have significant ground to cover. As one of the countries that has increased its inclusivity score, advocacy groups say Czechia still has a long way to go toward equality: in April, same-sex civil partnerships were granted most of the rights of married couples have – minus adoption rights and the right to call the union a marriage.

According to the Reboot Online study, Finland saw the most substantial improvement in LGBTQ+ inclusivity, with its overall score increasing by 2.80 points to reach 7.70 out of 10 in 2024. This places the Nordic country fifth overall in Europe for LGBTQ+ workplace inclusivity, thanks to strong scores in both workplace equality and safety.

Portugal, and Czechia trail closely behind. They have also seen considerable progress in LGBTQ+ inclusivity, with their scores increasing by 2.73 and 2.30 points, respectively, since 2019.

Czechia, meanwhile, scored 6.90 out of 10 in 2024, placing it 3rd for inclusivity progress. The country's most decisive metric was workplace equality (7.24), but its "openness at work" score of 6.55 indicates that over one-third (35 percent) of LGBTQ+ professionals in Czechia often or always conceal their identity at work.

Earlier this year, The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) conducted a major survey on the experiences of LGBTQ+ communities across Europe, including in the Czech Republic.

Many respondents reported discrimination in crucial areas of life, including at work, school, healthcare settings, and public spaces. Thirty-five percent of Czech respondents said they felt discriminated against in at least one area over the previous year, similar to the 37 percent EU average.

In 2023, major corporations operating in Czechia, such as Vodafone, Microsoft, Danone, ČSOB, and Ikea, called upon Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala to endorse marriage equality for same-sex couples, arguing that the economic implications of unequal treatment are pivotal to the cause, and signatories argue that these disparities adversely impact the Czech economy.

Citing research from Open For Business, a coalition advocating LGBTQ+ inclusion, the unequal status of LGBTQ+ individuals incurs an annual cost of up to CZK 37.6 billion to the economy.