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The Big Four firms are eager to adopt progressive positions in support of diversity, but it doesn't always play out in reality for staff.

The experiences of LGBTQI+ people working in professional services are still heavily influenced by their clients, according to a new study from the University of Sydney Business School.

The research, published in Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, is based on 56 in-depth interviews between 2018 and 2019 with LGBTQI+ staff and allies in Australia across the Big Four firms: Deloitte, EY, KPMG, and PwC.

The study was led by Dr. Matthew Egan, a Senior Lecturer in Accounting, Governance and Regulation at the University of Sydney, and explored the experiences of professionals during and following the legislative passing of marriage equality in 2017.

It found that while the Big Four firms each adopted progressive positions in support of diversity, LGBTQI+ staff reported feeling pressure to act differently to manage relationships with different types of clients—sometimes speaking openly about their sexuality to attract more progressive clients, and at other times remaining silent with more conservative clients.

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