Up to half of Britain's gay and lesbians are afraid to come out at work.

Managing Diversity reports how a survey by Out Now Consulting reveals gay employees are worried about the response they will get if they were honest about their sexuality.

It claims just 52 per cent of gay men and 51 per cent of lesbians believe they can be completely honest.

Ian Johnson, CEO of Out Now Consulting, told Managing Diversity: "Heterosexual people do not experience the same pressures to conceal such a major aspect of themselves when they are at work. Being accepted by government in the UK is a big step forward in terms of Civil Partnerships, but being able to be yourself at work is something all workers in the UK really ought to be able to do."

The Out Now Consulting study claims that the reluctance of staff to come out at work affects productivity, loyalty and retention rates.