PinkNews Awards 2018: Here are the nominees for Business Equality

The Business Equality Award, sponsored by Cicero, seeks to highlight the work of businesses who pioneer LGBT+ diversity and inclusion, both internally and sector-wide.

In 2017 Aviva collected the PinkNews Award, with 2018 welcoming more LGBT+ pioneers into its short list for 2018.

A panel of judges will be drafted in to decide the winner, which will be announced at the PinkNews Awards on October 17, 2018.

The nominees are listed below:

Allen and Overy

Diversity is one of Allen & Overy’s strategic business priorities.

Its aim is to build an environment where everyone feels supported and comfortable in being open, and where the differences between people create opportunities not barriers.

Read more about the company’s efforts here. 

Goldman Sachs

Diversity is essential to Goldman Sachs’ mission as a firm. It says it allows for the development of better ideas, respond to the needs of clients, and ensure that their people can work at their maximum potential.

Goldman Sachs encourages open dialogue and awareness of the LGBT community, striving for inclusion across all levels of the organisation.

The firm was named Star Performer by Stonewall in the years 2014-2017 and Best Place to WOrk for LGBT Equality by the Human Rights Campaign in their Corporate Equality Index. The firm’s chairman and CEO, Lloyd Blankfein, has spoken out publicly in support of LGBT rights, most notably in 2012 as one of the first CEOs to publicly support U.S. marriage equality as part of the Human Rights Campaign.

You can find out more here.

Herbert Smith Freehills

Internally, Herbert Smith Freehills conducts unconscious bias training using real-life LGBT examples, which is used globally as part of the induction process.

Their Global D&I and Dignity at Work policies are regularly promoted to all staff, and in February 2018 the firm developed global guidelines for trans* inclusion.

HSF is the first law firm in the UK to launch trans* inclusive healthcare benefits, and have since shared their best practices with clients and competitors.

Read more about the strive for diversity here.

Hogan Lovells

“Different perspectives make us more effective, so we put diversity at our core,” say Hogan Lovells.

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Through a comprehensive diversity strategy and corresponding initiatives, the company ensures an inclusive culture.

Its Global Diversity and Inclusion Committee along with 10 regional diversity teams throughout the world work to attract and retain the best and brightest, while maintaining a place where everyone can fulfil their potential.

You can read more about their achievements here.

ITV

ITV plc strives to always be inclusive in the workplace and outside of it, making sure everyone involved with the company feels valued and empowered.
Co-chair of ITV Pride, Matt Scarff, was included in the Financial Times’ OUTstanding List of Leading LGBT Executives for his equality efforts.

The last time ITV participated in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index in 2016, it ranked ahead of any other participating UK broadcaster.

Vercida and the Big IDEA conducted research in 2016 on who was tackling LGBT issues in the workplace, and ITV ranked 4th from over 80 of the UK’s top employers.

Find out more here.

Macquarie

Macquarie maintains clear policies that treat its LGBT employees the same as the rest of its workforce.

Maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave (including LGBT-inclusive fostering) policies are applied equally to same-sex couples, and all employee benefits are applied equally regardless of sexuality or gender identity.

They recently implemented a Gender Transition Policy specifying the support available, and published a ‘trans Guide’ outlining appropriate terminology and behaviour for all staff.

Macquarie also started discussions with its health insurance provider to improve its gender transition insurance coverage.

You can discover more here. 

Pearson

Pearson is dedicated to making sure that its LGBT employees and learners are included and that everyone involved with the company is treated equally.

Pearson is currently working with Stonewall to make sure all of its policies are inclusive and non-binary, and the company offers benefits for all regardless of sexuality.

Members of the Spectrum committee were selected to benefit from a leadership development course to help them get the best out of the committee experience.

Pearson has also attended the Stonewall Workplace conference.

Read more here. 

Pinsent Masons

Pinsent Masons is the highest ranking law firm in the Stonewall WEI, second overall for the past two years, and one of Stonewall’s Top Global Employers.

In 2018, the company was also recognised as one of Stonewall’s Top Trans Employers.

Pinsent Masons ensures that all policies are LGBT inclusive. The company’s Dignity at Work policy and Diversity and Equal Opportunities policies refer specifically to its zero tolerance approach to LGBT discrimination, bullying, and harassment.

It has reviewed and proposed amendments to the firm’s Adoption & Surrogacy guide and New and Expectant Parent Policy to make them more inclusive.

It has reviewed the Dress code, Dignity at Work, and trans-related policies to make them more inclusive and non-binary.

Find out more here. 

Sky

Sky UK has an LGBT Network that runs internal activities for members and allies that publishes a monthly newsletter and daily-updated website. T

he company holds monthly Allies Lunches across the UK and has created an Allies Workshop called “How to be a good Ally.”

It also created the Site Champions initiative, enabling members to apply to become a champion that others can turn to, and has committed to over 500 volunteer hours for LGBT causes and LGBT History Month activities.

Sky UK is the number one media company on Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index. It also works with partners such as the Northumbria Police to get involved in the Work Place Hate Crime Champions program.

Read more here. 

Taylor Wessing

Taylor Wessing has an active LGBT network active since 2011, that is introduced to all new joiners upon induction and nearly 50 percent of non-LGBT employees said they had participated in LGBT network events in the last year according to the Stonewall employee survey.

Taylor Wessing’s three openly LGBT partners, as well as its senior leadership, are regular evangelists of diversity issues within the firm, and the Managing Partner of Taylor Wessing often sends emails in support/promoting the activities of the LGBT network.

Taylor Wessing has been a member of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme since 2011 and was named a top 100 employer in the 2018 Stonewall Workplace Equality Index.

You can discover more here.

The PinkNews Awards is supported by Lloyds Banking Group.