Baker McKenzie, Citi, Lloyds Banking Group, Vodafone and Sky are among the organisations that have been named as inclusive employers for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) employees, according to the Top 100 Employers 2018 list, compiled by LGBT charity Stonewall.
The list is based on submissions to benchmarking tool the Workplace equality index, through which employers demonstrate best practice across 10 areas of employment policy and practice, covering aspects such as networking groups, career development, training, and community engagement. The 100 highest-performing organisations, according to final Workplace equality index scores, feature on the Top 100 Employers list.
This year, more than 430 organisations took part in the index and over 92,000 employees from within these organisations completed an anonymous survey about their employer’s attitudes towards workplace culture, diversity and inclusion.
Other organisations recognised in 2018’s list include law firm Pinsent Masons, Nottinghamshire County Council, the University of Sheffield, professional services organisation PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), retail business Co-op, and children’s charity Barnardo’s.
For 2018, Stonewall also compiled a separate list recognising the top trans-inclusive employers, based on the same index results. Multinational law firm Baker McKenzie ranked first in this list, followed by fellow legal business Berwin Leighton Paisner in second place and Cardiff University in third.
The top 10 organisations in Stonewall’s Top 100 employers 2018 list are:
- National Assembly for Wales
- Pinsent Masons
- Gentoo
- Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
- Lloyds Banking Group
- Baker McKenzie
- Berwin Leighton Paisner
- Citi
- Newcastle City Council
- Victim Support
The top 11 organisations in Stonewall’s Top trans-inclusive employers 2018 list are:
- Baker McKenzie
- Berwin Leighton Paisner
- Cardiff University
- Gentoo
- Lloyds Banking Group
- National Assembly for Wales
- Pinsent Masons
- Swansea University
- The University of Manchester
- Victim Support
- Your Homes Newcastle
Alex Chadwick, London managing partner at Baker McKenzie, said: “We are delighted to be included once again in Stonewall’s prestigious listing and thrilled to be ranked in sixth place this year; a record ranking for us. To be recognised for our ongoing support for the LGBT community in the workplace is a wonderful reflection of the continued dedication and great work of our people and the culture of Baker McKenzie. We believe that diversity within our firm makes us stronger and that all of our people deserve to be their authentic selves at work.”
Darren Towers, executive director at Stonewall, added: “Taking part in our index shows real commitment to understanding and advocating LGBT equality. This year, for the first time, the index looked at what employers were doing for trans equality in the workplace. This work is crucial. […] Half of trans people have hidden their identity at work for fear of discrimination. This must change and it’s encouraging to see so many organisations make a commitment to trans equality. With their support and hard work we can create a world where all lesbian, gay, bi and trans employees are welcomed and accepted without exception.”