Page 46 - Spring 2015

The employers helping us make our
vision a reality
Dean Lloyd, Programmes Manager for
Stonewall Cymru, speaks to Fyne Times about
his own involvement with the charity.
“I’ve worked for Stonewall Cymru for five
years now and I love it, but my experience
of the workplace before then was very
different indeed. I found myself editing the
conversations I had with my colleagues,
thinking twice about asking my manager for
time off just in case they asked what I was
doing and with who. These little things all
added up – I wasted a lot of time and energy
and it meant that I couldn’t realise my full
potential. That’s why I’m really pleased to
see so many employers working with us at
Stonewall Cymru, all striving to make Welsh
workplace a better place for everyone. The
Workplace Equality Index plays an important
role in making this change and I’m really proud
to be a part of it.
Building on its reputation for challenging
and stretching employers, this year’s index
introduced new criteria pushing top performers
to greater heights and providing a framework
for those at the start of their journey. More
Welsh employers took to this challenge
than ever before and once again Wales has
a very strong presence in Stonewall’s Top
100 Employers. Lloyds Banking Group and
National Assembly for Wales rank higher
than any other Welsh employer has before and
Carmarthenshire County Council climbed the
ranks to secure a place in the Top 100 for the
first time.
Whilst there is lots to be proud of, our largest
ever staff survey highlights many of the
challenges still remain. Large numbers of
people still don’t feel able to be themselves
at work, particularly bisexual people and
young people at the start of their career. We
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