Coping Responses for Workplace Stress by the Sri Lankan LGBTQ+ Community

Abstract

Lesbian, gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and other sexual minority (LGBTQ+) employees in Sri Lanka face workplace discrimination, as organizations lack adequate policies and practices to protect them from marginalization and vulnerability. Thus LGBTQ+ employees must work under pressure, and it affects their job satisfaction and performance. Sri Lankan LGBTQ+ studies are lacking due to challenges in finding respondents, overcoming social and cultural barriers, and gaining societal support. This study investigates the workplace stress of LGBTQ+ employees in Sri Lanka, focusing on their feelings and perceptions. It also examines coping strategies for overcoming workplace stress and the most common coping mechanisms for these employees. The research explored LGBTQ+ employees' experiences in Sri Lanka and potential solutions to workplace stress through a qualitative approach, interviewing eight respondents who experienced discrimination. The study findings revealed that LGBTQ+ employees are discriminated at the workplace through social exclusion, sexual harassment, and hostile work settings. The research identified nine coping strategies practiced by the Sri Lankan LHBTQ+ employees and highlighted the four most common strategies that were successful in the Sri Lankan context. The studies’ findings provide significant insights for the organization's policymakers related to human resource management and scholars.