According to a report by the International Labor Organization (ILO) in Costa Rica, some transnational companies discriminate lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual and intersex (LGBTI) applicants in job interviews. Therefore, member of this community are hiding their sexual orientations in order to get a job.
Daya Hernández, representative of the Trans population in Costa Rica, said they do usually get a job at call centers.
The report reveals that 3 out of 10 people have witnessed discrimination or aggression based on sexual orientation. In addition, 1 in 10 LGTBI people has felt discriminated in the workplace.
To conduct the study, the ILO made interviews and focus groups. These were some of the statements they received when asked about the LGBTI population:
-“Feeling sexually attracted to people of the same sex is a disease.”
-“To avoid suffering LGBTI people should change and adapt to society.”
-“If companies hire LGBTI people, they risk losing customers.”
We must recognize that there are times when sexual orientation or appearance limit access to jobs, which is a loss for this country,”
said Labor Minister Carlos Alvarado.
With the new regulations of the Labor Code, sex discrimination is listed as an offense, which creates a legal framework to regulate it and report it.