ResumeBuilder.com Survey Explores Business Leaders’ Views on New Workplace Bias Protections

In response to the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s introduction of enhanced workplace bias protections, ResumeBuilder.com conducted a survey to gauge business leaders’ perspectives on key aspects of these protections. The survey delves into topics such as restroom accessibility for transgender employees, pronoun usage, and attitudes towards reproductive rights.

1. Restroom Accessibility: Sixteen percent of business leaders indicate that transgender employees cannot use bathrooms aligned with their gender identity at their companies. Thirty percent permit the use of unisex bathrooms, while 54 percent allow transgender employees to use bathrooms consistent with their gender identities. However, 24 percent oppose transgender employees using bathrooms consistent with their gender identities, citing concerns for women’s safety, biological perceptions of gender, and workplace confusion.
2. Pronoun Usage: Eighty percent of business leaders are open to using employees’ preferred pronouns, while 11 percent are unwilling and 9 percent are uncertain. Among those unwilling, reasons include skepticism about individuals choosing their pronouns, confusion, and religious beliefs.
3. Attitudes Towards Reproductive Rights: Eighteen percent of business leaders admit they would “definitely” or “probably” discriminate against employees who have had an abortion. This discrimination is rooted in moral, personal, and political beliefs, with potential actions including altering assignments or workload, harassment, termination, or withholding promotions.

Expert Commentary: ResumeBuilder.com’s Resume and Career Strategist, Julia Toothacre, emphasizes that while new workplace protections may influence behavior due to inclusion in company training regarding discrimination, personal bias and opinions may still prevent some individuals from fully abiding by these protections, similar to other forms of discrimination.

Survey Methodology: The survey was commissioned by ResumeBuilder.com and conducted online by the survey platform Pollfish. It was launched on May 1, 2024, and garnered responses from 878 business leaders holding various positions. Participants were required to be over 25 years old, earn more than $75,000 annually, work for a company with more than 11 employees, and possess an education level above high school.