Microagressões LGBTQIA+ no trabalho: refinamento de medida e relação com valores organizacionais e saúde mental

Abstract

The LGBTQIA+ group is one of the most marginalized in the workplace, facing numerous barriers and forms of discrimination, such as microaggressions. These subtle forms of aggression can affect their access to and permanence in the labor market and negatively impact their well-being. As co-responsible actors, organizations must play an important role in mitigating this problem and acting to protect these individuals. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between LGBTQIA+ workplace microaggressions, organizational values (hierarchy and egalitarianism), and the mental health of LGBTQIA+ professionals. A total of 137 LGBTQIA+ professionals participated in the research and responded to the refined version of the LGBTQIA+ Workplace Microaggressions Scale (EEM-LGBTQIA+), the Organizational Values Inventory, the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. The study was divided into two parts: (1) the refinement and search for new evidence of internal structure validity of the EEM-LGBTQIA+; and (2) the investigation of the relationship between LGBTQIA+ workplace microaggressions, organizational values, and mental health. In Study 1, the original version of the EEM-LGBTQIA+, previously called EEM-LGBT and focused only on LGBT individuals, underwent a refinement process with item and dimension review by the research team, expert judgment, and synthesis. This process resulted in a version with revised wording and dimensionality for some items, changes in the names of two dimensions, and an update of the acronym to “LGBTQIA+,” expanding the instrument’s target population. In the search for evidence of internal structure validity, the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) indicated a reduced version with 16 items distributed across the three proposed dimensions of LGBTQIA+ workplace microaggressions (organizational injustice, cisnormative culture, and heteronormative and self-identity assumptions), with good fit indices (RMSEA = 0.076, 90% CI [0.055–0.097], SRMR = 0.036, CFI = 0.953, TLI = 0.924). In Study 2, correlation and regression analyses were conducted to test the proposed model. The results did not indicate correlation or prediction of organizational values (Hierarchy and Egalitarianism) with overall LGBTQIA+ workplace microaggressions or their dimensions. However, overall LGBTQIA+ workplace microaggressions and the cisnormative culture dimension negatively predicted the mental health of LGBTQIA+ professionals. This study contributes by providing empirical evidence on how LGBTQIA+ microaggressions manifest in Brazilian organizational settings and highlights the importance of developing organizational interventions aimed at reducing microaggressions and strengthening safer, more inclusive work environments.