West of England employers including Bristol City Council, UWE and a number of professional services firms have been named among the UK’s most gay-friendly workplaces.
The annual Workplace Equality Index – produced by Stonewall, the lesbian, gay and bisexual equality campaigning and lobbying group – ranks employers’ progress towards creating an inclusive workplace.
Bristol City Council has been ranked the 21st most gay-friendly employer in the country in the top 100. UWE is at 45.
Businesses with major bases in Bristol in the table include accountants Ernst & Young (6), Barclays (7), law firm Simmons & Simmons (9), Environment Agency (11) and Lloyds Banking Group (14). See below for full top 100 list.
The city council rises 20 places from 41st last year and 105 places since 2010. It said this was due to the efforts of the council to improve its policies and practices with regards to lesbian, gay and bisexual people.
This year 376 employers entered the Index. The Top 100 showcases the businesses, charities and public bodies doing the most to tackle discrimination and promote healthy and supportive workplaces for their lesbian, gay and bisexual staff.
Bristol is also the third most gay-friendly local authority behind only Brighton and Hove City Council and Leicestershire County Council.
Cabinet member for neighbourhoods and the environment, Gus Hoyt, said: “Since 2010 when we set out to improve our policies and procedures with regards to lesbian, gay and bisexual people has been outstanding. For Bristol City Council to rate so highly in the Stonewall Index ratings is fantastic news. Next year I would like us to aim to be the best.”
As well as asking the council to evidence whether it has appropriate policies and practices in place, Stonewall also asks individual employees to fill in a separate questionnaire setting out how they think the organisation is doing.
Other employers with major bases in Bristol include homeless charity St Mungo’s (24), law firm CMS Cameron McKenna (62), Irwin Mitchell Solicitors, and accountants KPMG (76), PricewaterhouseCoopers (78) and Deloitte (82).
The Top 100 list:
1 Accenture
2 Gentoo
3 The Co-operative
4 Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
5 Home Office
6 Ernst & Young
7 Barclays
8 IBM
9 Simmons & Simmons
10 Metropolitan
11 = Environment Agency for England and Wales
11 = University of Cambridge
13 Goldman Sachs
14 Lloyds Banking Group
15 = Brighton & Hove City Council
15 = Hampshire Constabulary
17 North Wales Police
18 South Wales Police
19 Baker & McKenzie LLP
20 Leicestershire County Council
21 Bristol City Council
22 = London Ambulance Service NHS Trust
22 = Pinsent Masons
24 = Department of Health
24 = St Mungo’s
26 = National Assembly for Wales
26 = The Security Service (MI5)
28 = Liverpool John Moores University
28 = Tyne & Wear Fire and Rescue Service
30 = Herbert Smith Freehills LLP
30 = HM Revenue & Customs
32 = Aviva
32 = Morgan Stanley
32 = Newham College of Further Education
35 = Core Assets Group
35 = South East Coast Ambulance Service
37 = Bury Council
37 = Genesis Housing Association
37 = Southend-on-Sea Borough Council
40 = Derby City Council
40 = Hogan Lovells
40 = London Borough of Tower Hamlets
40 = Office for National Statistics
40 = Serious Organised Crime Agency
45 = Birmingham City Council
45 = Cheshire Fire & Rescue Service
45 = Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service
45 = University of the West of England
49 = Clydesdale Bank
49 = London Borough of Islington
51 Plus Dane Group
52 Eversheds LLP
53 = Hertfordshire County Council
53 = University College London
55 = Cardiff University
55 = Crown Prosecution Service
55 = Suffolk Constabulary
58 = Cheshire Constabulary
58 = Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
58 = University of Liverpool
61 Creative Skillset
62 CMS Cameron McKenna
63 = ITV plc
63 = London Borough of Waltham Forest
63 = Procter & Gamble
63 = Royal Air Force
63 = Warwickshire County Council
68 = British Transport Police
68 = Citizens Advice
68 = Dyfed Powys Police
68 = Leicestershire Constabulary
72 = Irwin Mitchell Solicitors
72 = Victim Support
74 = Derbyshire County Council
74 = Leeds City Council
76 = Department for Work and Pensions
76 = KPMG LLP
78 = London Borough of Hackney
78 = PricewaterhouseCoopers
78 = South Essex Homes
78 = West Sussex County Council
82 = Deloitte
82 = Manchester City Council
82 = Rugby Football League
82 = Your Homes Newcastle
86 = Kent Community Health NHS Trust
86 = Liverpool Community Health NHS Trust
88 = Lothian & Borders Fire and Rescue Service
88 = Sheffield City Council
88 = West Yorkshire Probation Trust
91 = Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service
91 = National Audit Office
93 = Arts Council England
93 = East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service
93 = Nationwide Building Society
93 = Sussex Police
97 = Gwent Police
97 = J.P. Morgan
97 = Royal Bank of Scotland Group
100 Northwards Housing
