Coming out is not a one-time declaration; it’s a recurring decision that LGBTQIA+ individuals face repeatedly throughout their professional lives. Each new interaction, whether with a new colleague, a new manager, or during cross-team collaborations, poses the question of whether to reveal their true selves.
In fact, the seminal Counting Ourselves survey (the first national survey of the health and wellbeing of trans and non-binary people living in Aotearoa) found that 57% of trans and non-binary participants did not disclose their identity at work because they feared discrimination. Trust and connection are foundational to building innovative and high-performing teams, yet even in New Zealand’s top workplaces, LGBTQIA+ employees often find themselves at a disadvantage in key areas such as wellbeing and psychological support.
The challenges faced by rainbow community members in New Zealand workplaces are well-documented. According to the 2025 Public Service Census (the most comprehensive cross-sector workforce data available in Aotearoa) rainbow staff experienced bullying or harassment at a rate of 15.0%, compared to 12.1% of staff overall. Rainbow employees also reported higher rates of discrimination: 17.9% felt they had been discriminated against, versus 14.4% of all staff. In terms of comfort and belonging, rainbow staff felt notably less comfortable being themselves at work with their colleagues (74% vs 80% overall).
This is reinforced by Great Place To Work research: in a study of nearly half a million people, the biggest discrepancy between LGBTQIA+ and straight employees’ experiences is psychological safety. Even at great workplaces, LGBTQIA+ employees are 7% less likely to have a psychologically and emotionally healthy work environment compared with their straight coworkers.
Job satisfaction compounds these disparities. The 2025 Public Service Census found that only 56% of rainbow staff reported being satisfied overall with their work, compared to 62% of all staff. Similarly, 66% of rainbow employees said they were enthusiastic about their job, compared to 72% across the broader workforce.
The Mental Health Dimension
For rainbow community members in Aotearoa, the mental health disparities are stark. The Counting Ourselves research program found that five out of every seven participants aged 15 and older (71%) reported high or very high psychological distress, compared with only 8% of the general population. Research published in 2025 and 2026 continues to reinforce this pattern, noting that rainbow communities in Aotearoa experience significantly poorer mental health outcomes than the wider population, shaped less by identity itself and more by social conditions, service design, and access barriers.
The 2025 Public Service Census also found that rainbow public servants were around three to four times more likely to identify as disabled or neurodivergent, to have a mental health condition, or to require workplace accommodations compared to non-rainbow staff.
Intersectionality: Māori, Pasifika, and Rainbow Communities
For rainbow employees who are also Māori, Pasifika, or from other ethnic minority backgrounds, the disparities are compounded. The Counting Ourselves programme specifically highlighted higher rates of stigma and structural barriers for Māori participants within the rainbow community. Analysis of New Zealand’s public service workforce consistently shows that Māori and Pasifika employees report lower feelings of inclusion than their European counterparts, and when rainbow identity intersects with these backgrounds, the challenges intensify. These experiences are not isolated. Workplace culture across various sectors often mirrors broader societal attitudes, which can either hinder or promote LGBTQIA+ inclusion.
Visibility and the Pressure to Conceal
The pressure to hide one’s identity in the workplace is real and persistent. Among young women and non-binary workers surveyed across Aotearoa in 2024, 54% of rainbow community members reported concealing their sexuality at work. This aligns with broader patterns documented by the Human Rights Commission of Aotearoa, which notes that the most common complaint received on the ground of sexual orientation relates to discrimination in employment.
Company Efforts and the DEI Landscape in Aotearoa
Company efforts to close these gaps must navigate a specific set of pressures. New Zealand organisations face a growing complexity in their inclusion work: on one hand, there is deep organisational commitment; on the other, a lack of structural support and accountability.
The 2024 New Zealand Workplace Diversity Survey, which received 594 responses from organisations across Aotearoa, found that ethnicity, gender, and Rainbow/LGBTQ+ were ranked as the diversity dimensions considered most important by respondents with DEI responsibilities. Yet 37% of those same respondents were unaware of how senior leaders are being supported in their DEI learning, and 39% were unsure about accountability measures for DEI commitments at leadership level. Nearly half (47%) perceived a lack of diversity within the senior levels of their organisation.
The 2026 Workplace Inclusion Barometer Snapshot — the first baseline from a new national monitoring initiative — returned an index score of 65.6 out of 100, indicating only a moderately inclusive culture across Aotearoa workplaces. The research found that leaders and teams are genuinely committed to inclusion but are being held back by a lack of robust strategies, processes, and policies to support lasting change.
Meanwhile, DiversityWorks New Zealand’s 2024 state-of-the-sector report also raised concerns about widespread redundancies in DEI teams across the public and private sectors, with a global geo-political and socio-economic backlash against inclusion work creating new pressures for those leading this kaupapa.
A Multifaceted Approach for New Zealand Organisations
1. Redefine Workplace Inclusion Beyond Tokenism
Rather than relying on superficial gestures, organisations should ask rainbow employees directly what makes them feel genuinely valued and included. This could mean flexible working arrangements to attend significant rainbow community events, or implementing policies that genuinely respect diverse whānau structures. Given that only 14% of young workers intend to stay in roles at organisations with no visible DEI strategy, compared to 73% where DEI policies are actively practised, the business case is clear.
2. Enhance Visibility and Representation
Celebrating Aotearoa-specific rainbow events with genuine participation from senior leadership can meaningfully impact rainbow employees’ sense of belonging. New Zealand has a rich calendar of rainbow events that organisations can support:
- Auckland Pride Festival (February) — Aotearoa’s biggest pride season, including the iconic Big Gay Out at Coyle Park, attracting around 10,000 people annually
- Wellington Pride Festival (March) — featuring the Wellington Pride Hīkoi and Out in the Park
- Christchurch Pride Festival (March)
- Winter Pride, Queenstown (August)
- Wear It Purple Day (last Friday in August)
- Trans Day of Visibility (31 March) and Trans Day of Remembrance (20 November)
- International Coming Out Day (11 October)
- Anniversary of Same-Sex Marriage in Aotearoa (19 August)
3. Improve Psychological Safety
Given the profound mental health disparities documented in New Zealand research, targeted support is critical. Organisations should implement mental health resources that are explicitly affirming of rainbow identities, and ensure that all managerial and HR staff are trained in rainbow-specific issues — including unconscious bias, the lived experience of gender-diverse employees, and the particular challenges faced by takatāpui (Māori with diverse gender identities and sexualities). The Counting Ourselves research found that participants who had experienced workplace discrimination were twice as likely to have attempted suicide in the past year as those who had not — underlining that psychological safety is not a “nice to have” but a matter of life and wellbeing.
4. Support through Policy
Policies should be audited to ensure they inclusively address the needs of rainbow employees — including recognising diverse relationship and whānau structures in leave and benefits policies, and offering support for gender transition processes. New Zealand’s Human Rights Act 1993 and the Employment Relations Act 2000 provide the legislative foundation, but best-practice organisations go significantly further than legal minimum requirements.
5. Community and Peer Support via ERGs
Encouraging the formation of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) for LGBTQIA+ employees provides a platform for support and advocacy within organisations. New Zealand has a growing ecosystem of employer programmes to draw on:
- The Rainbow Tick — a nationally recognised accreditation mark for organisations that demonstrate inclusive and welcoming cultures for rainbow employees is now held by nearly one hundred New Zealand organisations, including Z Energy, Westpac NZ, Honeywell NZ, Ventia NZ, and a growing number of iconic Kiwi brands
- Government agencies including MFAT and Treasury maintain active Rainbow Networks that serve as internal advocacy and peer support groups
6. Data and Continuous Improvement
Regularly collecting and analysing employee experience data can help identify gaps in support systems for rainbow staff. Survey instruments should be designed to capture detailed feedback on inclusivity and the effectiveness of policies — using inclusive and affirming language, and giving employees the option (but never the obligation) to self-identify. Importantly, don’t assume you know how many rainbow people are in your organisation. The Stats NZ 2023 report found that 4.9% of usually resident adults in Aotearoa identify as LGBTIQ+, and nearly 60% of LGBTQIA+ people are bisexual a group that is frequently invisible in workplace data. More than one in four LGBTQIA+ employees are not out at work. Every action towards inclusion supports someone, even when you can’t see the impact directly.
The Way Forward
New Zealand organisations must continuously evolve their strategies to support rainbow employees — listening to lived experiences and adapting policies accordingly. Leadership must commit to these initiatives not just in word but in consistent actions that align public statements with internal culture.
Research consistently shows that organisations with visible, practised DEI strategies see measurably stronger retention: among young Kiwi workers surveyed in 2024, those in workplaces without visible DEI programmes showed only 14% intent to stay in their current roles, against 73% in workplaces where DEI is practised. The journey towards full inclusivity is ongoing, but with committed action, grounded in Aotearoa’s unique cultural context, including the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and an understanding of takatāpui identity, significant progress is within reach.
For more information or help on your DEIB journey, contact Great Place To Work about how to measure and improve belonging in your workplace with our employee experience survey and analysis tool.
