Sexual orientation - Scottish Government
Declaration rates for sexual orientation in our internal HR system, recruitment systems and People Survey are 74.7%, 97.6% and 98.8% respectively.
The term “LGB+” is used below to identify individuals declaring a sexual orientation of lesbian, gay, bisexual or any other sexual orientation not including straight/heterosexual. Breakdowns by trans status are available elsewhere in this report.
Workforce composition
Staff who haven’t declared their sexual orientation are not included in the percentages below.
Headcounts
LGB+ staff make up 10% of the Scottish Government workforce, compared to 5.2% of Scotland’s population aged 16 to 64.
The chart below shows the breakdown of the Scottish Government workforce by sexual orientation and either pay band or working pattern (i.e. full-time or part-time). Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows to indicate figures that are significantly higher or lower than the staff average. The percentage breakdown of Scotland’s population aged 16 to 64 by sexual orientation is added as a comparison where available.
A table below the chart also shows the breakdown for each Scottish Government agency, Director General area or other body covered by this publication
Figure 7a: Pay band or working pattern, by sexual orientation - Dec 2024
Part-time staff make up 16.4% of all permanent staff.
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c], or are not present in a given data source, represented by [x].
Table 7a: Pay band, working pattern, DG or agency, by sexual orientation - Dec 2024
Recruitment
11% of applications come from LGB+ applicants rising to 13.1% of offers accepted.
The chart below shows the percentage breakdown of the sexual orientation of applications to work for the Scottish Government at each stage of the recruitment process. Applicants applying to multiple jobs are included for each application they make. The percentage breakdown of Scotland’s population aged 16 to 64 by sexual orientation is added as a comparison where available.
Figure 7b: Recruitment stage reached in 2024, by sexual orientation
The stages of the recruitment process are explained later in this report
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c], or are not present in a given data source, represented by [x].
Table 7b: Recruitment stage reached in 2024, by sexual orientation
Turnover
18.3% of joiners and 8.9% of leavers are LGB+.
The chart below shows the breakdown of the Scottish Government workforce, the staff that joined in 2024 and the staff that left in 2024 by sexual orientation. Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows to indicate figures that are significantly higher or lower than the staff average. The percentage breakdown of Scotland’s working-age population by sexual orientation is added as a comparison where available.
Figure 7c: Joiners and leavers in 2024, by sexual orientation
The chart above does not include any movement to, from or between any other Scottish Government organisations.
There is a higher rate of uncertainty in the breakdown of joiners, as the declaration rate of sexual orientation among staff increases with time spent working for the Scottish Government.
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c], or are not present in a given data source, represented by [x].
Table 7c: Joiners and leavers in 2024, by sexual orientation
Staff experiences
Figures for staff who haven’t declared their sexual orientation are not included in the charts below, although they are included in the total figures.
Absences
10.7 working days are lost on average to sickness or absences for LGB+ staff.
8.6 working days are lost on average to sickness or absences for heterosexual staff.
AWDL is a measure of levels of absence that allows for comparison between different groups. A higher AWDL figure indicates a higher rate of days absent among that group, relative to the number of staff in that group and their working pattern.
Figure 7d: Average working days lost in 2024, by sexual orientation
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 7d: Average working days lost in 2024, by sexual orientation
Performance
51.8% of LGB+ staff achieved a marking of “Highly effective” or “Exceptional” in 2024.
55.5% of heterosexual staff achieved a marking of “Highly effective” or “Exceptional” in 2024.
Performance is assessed annually in April. Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows to indicate figures that are significantly higher or lower than the staff average. The staff average includes staff who have not made a declaration.
Figure 7e: Performance markings in 2023-24, by sexual orientation
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 7e: Performance markings in 2023-24, by sexual orientation
Substantive promotions
18.9% of LGB+ staff were promoted in 2024.
12.8% of heterosexual staff were promoted in 2024.
The chart below shows the percentage breakdown of staff getting a promotion in 2024 by sexual orientation. The percentages below are not the success rates of staff that apply for promotion. Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows to indicate figures that are significantly higher or lower than the staff average. The staff average includes staff who have not made a declaration.
Figure 7f: Proportion of staff promoted in 2024, by sexual orientation
The “not promoted” group includes the following groups of staff:
- Staff that were unsuccessful in their application for a promotion in 2024.
- Staff who did not apply for a promotion in 2024.
- Staff that achieved a promotion in 2024 but didn’t start their new position until 2025.
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 7f: Proportion of staff promoted in 2024, by sexual orientation
Temporary promotions
4.4% of LGB+ staff are on a temporary promotion.
4% of heterosexual staff are on a temporary promotion.
The chart below shows the percentage of Scottish Government staff on a temporary promotion. Percentages may include up (↑) or down (↓) arrows to indicate figures that are significantly higher or lower than the staff average. The staff average includes staff who have not made a declaration.
Figure 7g: Proportion of staff on a temporary promotion on Dec 2024, by sexual orientation
Some cells in the table below might not contain data. These cells have been suppressed for confidentiality purposes, represented by [c].
Table 7g: Proportion of staff on a temporary promotion on Dec 2024, by sexual orientation
Workforce culture
The data on workforce culture used in this publication comes from the Civil Service People Survey and covers core Scottish Government (SG Core) only. This data can be found on the SG Core page.