Wales has had a consistently good showing in Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers, with around 10% of the Top 100 coming from Wales over the last five years. Wales is certainly punching above its weight and this year Lloyds Banking Group and National Assembly for Wales were named as Stonewall Cymru’s top employers after placing higher in Stonewall’s Top 100 than any Welsh employer has before.
The business case for equality is clear and has become increasingly important in a difficult financial climate. Developing a culture where people can be themselves empowers staff to realise their full potential. It means that people are happier at work, more loyal and ultimately more productive. The best employers in Wales understand that attracting and retaining a diverse workforce is more important than ever before – keeping talent in Wales is a priority. These business benefits are also backed up by the Public Sector Equality Duty which has a particularly robust application here in Wales.
The employers we work with through our Diversity Champions programme go further than their legislative requirements and send a strong signal to their staff, service users and customers that equality and inclusion are a valued part of their business offering. Senior Leaders like our Senior Champion of the Year, Welsh Government Permanent Secretary Sir Derek Jones, play a vital role in making this message clear and setting the tone for others to follow. These Senior Champions are supported by a number of vibrant and committed LGBT Staff Networks that make LGBT people a visible and active part of their workplace – raising the profile of LGBT Role Models who make a difference to their colleagues every day, simply by being themselves.
Employers who work across Britain have also recognised the unique challenges faced by their staff in Wales. Those working in remote branches or regional offices can be unaware of the support available in their organisation. The likes of Barclays, Lloyds Banking Group and Eversheds have responded to this by increasing their engagement with staff in Wales, providing them with local support networks and ensuring that awareness raising initiatives reach further than their central headquarters.
A place in Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers is highly sought-after, but the improvements from Welsh organisations don’t just come from a desire to get to the top. It’s partly down to the tight-knit community employers have developed through the Diversity Champions programme in Wales. Strong networks of equality professionals and LGBT staff throughout Wales share their best practice and learning – supporting those at the start of their journey and creating innovative ideas that allow top performers to reach new heights. It’s also about taking a whole-organisation approach to the work. Recognising that equality isn’t just the job of one person or team and understanding that everyone has a role to play in developing a better working environment.
While there is lots to be proud of, our largest-ever staff survey highlights many of the challenges that still remain. Large numbers of people still don’t feel able to be themselves at work, particularly bisexual people and young people at the start of their career. We know this matters as the same survey once again shows that those who are able to be themselves enjoy going to work, are more loyal to their employer and make a greater contribution to their organisation.
These results mirror those of our latest research ‘Where we are now’ which shows that young people are less confident reporting homophobic bullying at work and bisexual men are more likely to feel that their workplace is not a good place for lesbian, gay and bisexual people to work.
At Stonewall Cymru, we have a vision of a Wales where everyone can realise every ounce of their potential. Our Top Employers and everyone who took part in this year’s Workplace Equality Index are helping us make that vision a reality.
