The leading banking group Lloyds has been named the most inclusive employer in Britain by Stonewall.
Stonewall, the leading LGBT rights charity, said its workplace equality index attracted a record 439 submissions, with 92,000 people taking part in a survey about workplace culture.
Lloyds achieved the status after launching a new volunteering programme and forming official partnerships with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender charities such as Mermaids, Opening Doors London and the Albert Kennedy Trust.
Lloyds have recently been commended for their recent television ad campaign, ‘For Your Next Step’, which features a same-sex proposal.
The company has also introduced further initiatives such as extending their private healthcare provisions to include support for trans colleagues and a new colleague volunteering programme, and have also supported awareness days and social media campaigns as well as flying bisexual and transgender flags at 35 of their sites.
Law firm Pinsent Masons came second, followed by US banker JP Morgan, followed by companies such as intelligence agency MI5, which was top last year, the House of Commons, Asda, and Leicestershire County Council.
Antonio Horta Osorio, group chief executive of Lloyds, said:
“Lloyds Banking Group is committed to supporting diversity in its workforce so that we can harness all of the qualities and talents of our colleagues to achieve our aim of helping Britain prosper.”
Ruth Hunt, chief executive of Stonewall, said:
“Lloyds Banking Group is a trailblazer for lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality, and an example of a business that consistently ensures that all staff feel empowered and supported, no matter who they are.
“We’ve learned over the last year that nothing is certain – and this extends to human rights. Corporate organisations have the power to influence this and protect LGBT people, and so it is reassuring to see so many private firms represented in our top 10 and top 100.”
Legal firms made up half of the top 10 and featured widely in the top 100 along with those in education, banking and finance and the government, but there were no media companies.
Rebecca joined the HRreview editorial team in January 2016. After graduating from the University of Sheffield Hallam in 2013 with a BA in English Literature, Rebecca has spent five years working in print and online journalism in Manchester and London. In the past she has been part of the editorial teams at Sleeper and Dezeen and has founded her own arts collective.
