Nottingham City Council has been named one of the most inclusive employers in Britain by lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality charity Stonewall in its Top 100 Employers list for 2019.
This year’s Top 100 was the largest ever with 445 employers entering, demonstrating their commitment to LGBT workplace inclusion.
As part of the Top 100, Stonewall collects more than 92,000 anonymous responses from employees on their experience of Britain’s workplace culture and diversity. An overwhelming 93 per cent of non-LGBT employees who responded to the survey, say they understand why their employer is committed to LGBT equality.
Cllr Toby Neal, Portfolio Holder for Community Protection said:“We are delighted that the City Council has achieved this ranking, which sends a positive message to all our staff, whether LGBT or not, that we listen to employees concerns and take actions to make the Council a better place to work. Reflecting the community’s diversity is vital because it’s right that we represent the people that we serve and to show that we make the most of talented people, whoever they are. The listing in Stonewalls top 100 employers is a result of the progress we have made recently, listening to our staff and acting upon their concerns.”
Last year, Stonewall released research that revealed more than a third of LGBT staff (35 per cent) have hidden they are LGBT at work and almost one in five LGBT employees (18 per cent) have been the target of negative comments from colleagues because of their identity.
Rosey Donovan, Community Engagement Equalities & LGBT Lead said: “I am thrilled that Nottingham City Council was named within the top 100 award and I am equally overjoyed that our LGBT Employee Network was awarded the Stonewalls Highly Commended Network 2019 award.”
Darren Towers, Stonewall’s Executive Director said: “Nottingham City Council and all those who have made this year’s Top 100 Employers list are making a huge difference to workplaces, services and communities across the UK. LGBT-inclusive employers play a crucial role in changing society by using their power and influence to protect and support LGBT people. More than a third of LGBT staff (35 per cent) still hide their identity at work for fear of discrimination; that has an impact on productivity, wellbeing and more and shows we still have lots to do. However, with organisations like Nottingham City Council displaying such a strong commitment to LGBT equality, we are one step closer to creating a world where all lesbian, gay, bi and trans employees are welcomed and accepted without exception.”
Stonewall’s Top 100 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, as well as their wider work in the community and on service provision.
Each organisation must demonstrate their expertise in 10 areas of employment policy and practice, including networking groups, senior leadership, procurement and how well they’ve engaged with LGBT communities.