Gays and lesbians who feel able to be out at work - and are well supported by their employers - report that they are significantly more effective, more motivated and built better working relationships with colleagues, a UK study has found.

A pioneering Stonewall report which, for the first time, outlines a compelling business case for good practice around sexual orientation in the workplace, is to be launched by Secretary of State for Business John Hutton later this afternoon in London.

The study, based on more than one hundred in-depth interviews with lesbian, gay and bisexual people from 21 public and private sector organisations, found that participants almost universally reported a positive link between workplace climate and their own productivity and performance. The research was sponsored by IBM.

"In an increasingly competitive labour market, employers who don't take lesbian and gay equality seriously, risk losing out to those who do," concludes Stonewall chief executive Bruce Summerskill.

This article continues on the UK Gay News website, linked below.