Britain’s most gay-friendly employer has been revealed

If you’ve started 2018 with a career-change in mind, you might be interested to know which organisations have been deemed Britain’s best for LGBT+ employees.

Gay rights charity Stonewall has announced (January 31) this year’s Top 100 LGBT inclusive employers list, an index which saw over 400 organisations vying to be named the country’s most gay-friendly and – for the first time – most trans-friendly employer.

So what took the top spot? Well, after ranking fifth on last year’s list, 2018’s winner is The National Assembly for Wales.

Stonewall praised the devolved parliament for introducing a raft of measures to improve the workplace for trans staff alongside pre-existing policites for lesbian, gay and bisexual employees.

These included updating their workplace systems to offer an Mx title, providing space for staff to give their own gender term on forms, and introducing gender-neutral bathroom facilities across the workplace.

Elsewhere, the top 10 saw Cheshire Fire and Rescue, Newcastle City Council and Lloyds Banking Group rank highly for their commitment to creating an accepting work environment for LGBT+ people.

Elin Jones AM, Llywydd of the National Assembly for Wales, said: “We are truly honoured to be recognised by Stonewall as the leading employer for lesbian, gay, bi and trans people.

The National Assemlby for Wales building in Cardiff

“The National Assembly has diversity and inclusion at the very heart of its role representing the people of Wales.

“We are proud to support our LGBT staff network and continue to work to create an inclusive culture – not only for the people who work here but for the people we represent across all Wales’ diverse communities. 

 “As Wales’ parliament, it is right that we should lead by example to demonstrate what can be achieved with the right attitudes, leadership and determination.

“This is not only a great day for the Assembly, it’s also good news for staff in the many other Welsh organisations represented in the top 100 employers. They demonstrate people in Wales clearly understand the value of inclusive policy and service delivery and I congratulate them all.”

Ruth Hunt, Stonewall’s Chief Executive, said: “At a time when LGBT people are subject to profound discrimination and abuse, both in and out of the workplace, our LGBT-inclusive employers are a welcome beacon of hope that a positive future is possible”

Cheshire Fire and Rescue celebrate being ranked among Britain’s top 10 most gay-friendly employers.

“The National Assembly for Wales is a trailblazer for equality, especially for trans equality, and we’d like other organisations to look at the straightforward, positive actions they have taken and follow the example they have set.

“Creating a workplace environment that accepts everyone isn’t just the right thing to do, it makes good business sense. When staff feel comfortable, happy and understood they will, of course, perform much better than if they’re having to hide who they are, or if they’re scared to go to work for fear of abuse.

“All leaders, managers – all of us as colleagues – can stand up for LGBT people in the workplace and play a part. We can all play a part in changing our workplaces and our communities so that all LGBT people are accepted without exception.”

One of the largest national employent surveys in Britain, Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers List sees the group collects more than 92,000 anonymous responses from employees on their experience of Britain’s workplace culture and diversity.

Check out the Top 100 below – did your employer make the cut?

1 National Assembly for Wales
2 Pinsent Masons LLP
3 Gentoo
4 Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service
5 Lloyds Banking Group
6 Baker McKenzie
7 Berwin Leighton Paisner
8 Citi
9 Newcastle City Council
10 Victim Support
11 Clifford Chance
12 Welsh Government
13 Ministry of Justice
14 Cardiff University
15 Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service
=16 Manchester Metropolitan University
=16 The University of Manchester
18 Environment Agency
19 Norton Rose Fulbright
20 Touchstone
21 GSK
22 Nottinghamshire County Council
23 House of Commons
=24 The University of Sheffield
=24 York St John University
=26 CMS
=26 Travers Smith
=26 Cheshire Constabulary
=29 Sky
=29 Swansea University
31 Hogan Lovells
32 Royal Navy and Royal Marines
=33 Herbert Smith Freehills
=33 PwC
35 KPMG
36 The Riverside Group
37 Accenture
38 Home Office
=39 Nottinghamshire Police
=39 J.P. Morgan
41 Bury Council
=42 Leicestershire Police
=42 Vodafone
44 University of Leicester
45 Wolverhampton Homes
46 North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
=47 Your Homes Newcastle
=47 Sussex Police
49 MI6
50 Leeds City Council
=51 Taylor Wessing
=51 Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
=51 Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board
=54 Slaughter and May
=54 GCHQ
=56 Bank of America Merrill Lynch
=56 Aberystwyth University
58 Dentons
=59 Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service
=59 University of Essex
61 De Montfort University
62 University of Wolverhampton
=63 Newham College of Further Education
=63 Capgemini
65 Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
66 Co-op
=67 Tate
=67 Teesside University
69 Northumbria Police
70 PageGroup
71 Barnardo’s
72 St Mungo’s
73 Kirkland & Ellis
74 Lancashire Constabulary
=75 Eversheds Sutherland
=75 Linklaters
=75 Home Group
78 Department for Education
=79 Leicestershire County Council
=79 Southend-on-Sea Borough Council
=79 L&Q
=79 EY
83 RBS
=84 The British Army
=84 Cheshire West and Chester Council
=86 St Andrew’s Healthcare
=86 Macquarie Group
=88 Golden Jubilee Foundation
=88 Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
90 Police Scotland
=91 Allen & Overy
=91 Tower Hamlets Council
=93 Credit Suisse
=93 Intellectual Property Office
=95 Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
=95 Virgin Money
97 University of Greenwich
=98 UCL
=98 Aviva
100 Fujitsu