Eight charities have been named in Stonewall’s annual list of the top 100 LGBTQ+ employers in the UK.
Victim Support, which ranked third, has been the top performing charity for several years. Meanwhile, the King’s Fund made the list for the first time ever, ranking 75th.
Stonewall said that 57% of this year’s organisations were private sector employers while 37% were from the public sector and 8% from the third sector.
CharitySoStraight said it was “saddened” by the lack of charities on the list and that the sector needs “to be doing better than this”.
‘Saddened but not surprised’
Stonewall’s list is compiled from the Workplace Equality Index, a benchmarking tool for employers that assesses how inclusive their workplaces are for lesbian, gay, bi and trans staff.
This year, 434 employers across the public, private and third sectors submitted entries to the index.
Legal firm Clifford Chance was named as the UK’s most inclusive employer, with engineering firm Arup coming second and Victim Support third.
Kevin Taylor-McKnight, founder and campaigner at CharitySoStraight, told Civil Society News that his organisation was “saddened, but not at all surprised” not to see more charities on the list.
“As a sector, we need to be doing better than this, and we’re pretty sure that we are but that a lot of that work is going unrecognised, as a lot of charities are not necessarily taking part in that scheme.
“However, we are pleased that some charities still think that this is an important index to be part of, because it is. It demonstrates a real commitment to diversity and inclusion for all of your employees.”
He added that “there is a misconception that charities are a warm and friendly place for everyone who works in them, but our lived experience tells us that this is not necessarily the case”.
“We would ask that all charity leaders engage with an intersectional approach to diversity, because it benefits all your stakeholders, not least your employees and your service users. And our challenge to charity leaders and trustees across the sector is essentially this – what action are you taking now and in the years ahead to ensure that your charity is a safe place for all of your employees and that your messaging is reaching all the people who need you?”
EDI values ‘integral’ to Victim Support
Victim Support, a charity that supports victims of crime and traumatic incidents in England and Wales, has been taking part in Stonewall’s list for 13 years.
Over the past year, the charity’s LGBTQ+ network “has continued to grow its membership and provide a range of awareness-raising activities and spaces for LGBTQ+ staff and volunteers to come together and share their experiences”.
Chief executive Diana Fawcett said: “We’re extremely proud to have been ranked the third best employer for LGBTQ+ people in Stonewall’s annual Workplace Equality Index – as well as the top non-for-profit organisation and the best employer in Wales, for the second year in a row.
“The values of equality, diversity and inclusion are integral to our organisation and we are committed to creating opportunities for LGBTQ+ staff, volunteers and allies to socialise, support one another and raise awareness about the experiences and challenges faced by the community. As we strive to deliver the best possible service for victims of crime, it is also vital that our workforce reflects the diversity of the individuals and communities we support.”
Homelessness charity St Mungo’s achieved 24th spot.
In a statement, St Mungo’s said: “Equality and diversity are central to St Mungo’s values and the charity ensures that LGBT awareness and inclusion are part of how clients and staff are supported.
“The St Mungo’s LGBTQ+Network inputs into diversity training, internal policy reviews and supports staff and clients; raises awareness of LGBT equality through LGBT history month, nationwide Pride events and influences organisations development and service provision.”
King’s Fund: Achievement recognises ‘our progress’
Health think tank the King’s Fund entered this year’s list for the first time ever after ranking 482 out of over 500 organisations in 2020 and 239 out of more than 400 organisations in 2022.
“With our third submission, we ranked 75th in Stonewall’s top 100 employers and were delighted to receive a Gold Award in 2023, recognising the progress we have made on our journey to become a more inclusive organisation,” the charity said.
To become more LGBTQ+ inclusive, the charity joined Stonewall’s diversity champion programme in 2021. It also set up an LGBTQ+ staff network, revised its policies and has been running awareness raising events for its staff.
Wellcome, Touchstone, Mind, and the Royal College of Psychiatrists were also in the list.
Stonewall would not clarify who the eight charities were.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article said that St Mungo’s ranked 72nd this year. It was actually in the 24th spot.
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