Local employers feature in Stonewall Top 100 Employers list
Local employers have performed well as Stonewall publishes its Top 100 Employers 2014 list, showcasing Britain’s best employers for lesbian, gay and bisexual staff.
Taking 15th place is Bristol City Council, University of the West of England comes in at number 35. Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service take 54th position. Nationwide Building Society, whose headquarters are based in Swindon occupy 86th place, and Somerset College number 91. Lloyds Banking Group who have major offices in the Harbourside area of Bristol also shared 15th place, and The Ministry of Defence based at various locations across the South West also shared 35th place.
The Top 100 list is based on the results of Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index 2014, the tenth published by the charity. The Index is based on a range of key indicators which include a confidential questionnaire of lesbian, gay and bisexual staff, with over 9,700 participants. This consistently revealed that employees from organisations ranked in Stonewall’s Top 100 exhibited higher levels of staff satisfaction and loyalty.
Pro Vice-Chancellor and UWE Bristol Diversity Champion, Professor Ron Ritchie said, “We are delighted to have made year-on-year progress in the prestigious Stonewall Workplace index and to now find ourselves so high up and the 2nd university in the list. We celebrate the diversity of our workforce and know it helps make the University a creative, dynamic, inclusive and innovative institution. Supporting the LGBT agenda in a variety of ways is important to us. A lot of the credit must go to those at UWE Bristol that work hard to make it such a welcoming and inclusive place through initiatives like staff and student networks.”
Ben Summerskill, Stonewall Chief Executive said: ‘Every single employer in the Top 100 has performed remarkably this year as competition for a place on the list of gay-friendly employers has never been fiercer. This commitment from organisations – across 38 different industries – is changing the face of workplaces for the better for all staff – regardless of their sexual orientation’.
Property Group Gentoo took first place, the whole list can be found on the Stonewall Website
