The Top 100 Employers list, created by lesbian, gay,
bi and trans (LGBT) equality charity Stonewall,
is compiled from submissions to the Workplace
Equality Index, a powerful benchmarking tool
used by employers to assess their achievements and
progress on LGBT equality in the workplace.
This year saw over 400 organisations take part in
the Index, the highest number in its 12 year history.
Each participant must demonstrate their expertise in
10 distinct areas of employment policy and practice,
including networking groups, career development,
training and community engagement.
More than 60,000 staff from across these
organisations also took part in an anonymous survey
about their employers’ attitudes towards workplace
culture, diversity and inclusion, making it one of the
largest national employment surveys in Britain.
Responses to this survey reveal that:
• Only 27 per cent of lesbian, gay and bi people
feel comfortable disclosing their sexual
orientation to all colleagues and customers.
Figures were lower for lesbians (23 per cent)
than gay men (33 per cent), and considerably
lower for bi individuals (12 per cent).
• People who are out as LGB at work experience
better job satisfaction and have a higher sense
of achievement, according to 67 per cent of
lesbian, gay and bi people
• We need to see more visible LGBT role models.
Just 11 per cent of respondents believe there
are bi role models at work; 19 per cent see trans
role models, 42 per cent see lesbian role models
and 53 per cent see gay role models at work
• Senior leaders are showing more commitment
to lesbian, gay and bi equality now (63 per
cent) than in the previous year (53 per cent)
• Just 42 per cent of trans respondents said
that senior leaders demonstrate a visible
commitment to trans equality at work
• Organisations from the legal and housing
sectors dominate the Top 10 on the Index,
and across the Top 100, local government,
education and health and social care are the
most featured sectors.
Outside of London, Wales and the East Midlands
have the most organisations featured in this year’s
Index (12 and nine respectively).
Commenting on taking the number one spot,
Andrew Parker, Director-General, MI5 said:
‘Diversity is vital for MI5, not just because it’s right
that we represent the communities we serve, but
because we rely on the skills of the most talented
people whoever they are, and wherever they
may be. This accolade from Stonewall is a great
acknowledgment of the continued progress we have
made over recent years in ensuring we draw on the
widest possible pool of talent in our vital work.’
Ruth Hunt, Stonewall Chief Executive, said: ‘MI5
have made fantastic strides in creating an inclusive
workplace, and have now appeared on the Stonewall
Top 100 Employers list since 2012. This is an
amazing achievement and demonstrates just how
seriously diversity and inclusion is taken. I’d also like
to thank all of those organisations that took part in
Stonewall’s 2016 Workplace Equality Index, and
congratulate our Top 100 and award winners. We’re
thrilled to see such a commitment to lesbian, gay, bi
and trans colleagues, but we also know that there is
still lots to do.
‘Those organisations that are ‘getting it right’ are not
only improving the lives of lesbian, gay, bi and trans
staff, stakeholders, clients and customers, but are
also reaping business benefits. We know that people
perform better when they can be themselves, and
it’s been proven that diversity among staff leads to
a more productive, positive and creative workplace
environment.
‘Stonewall looks forward to working with all of those
organisations and others in the year ahead, to work
towards a world where all lesbian, gay, bi and trans
staff feel equal at work and are accepted without
exception.’
For the first time, the Workplace Equality Index
asked questions specifically about policies related to
trans people, as the first step towards organisations
being marked and measured on their commitment to
trans equality in the workplace.
Information gathered from these questions will
produce resources which will be released during
2016 to reflect best practice, allowing organisational
change to be monitored via the 2017 Index.
Organisations will be formally marked on their trans
policies from 2018.
spring 2015
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