Telecommunications business Vodafone UK, law firm Linklaters and HSBC are among the employers that have made the top 10 of Stonewall’s 2024 Workplace Equality Ranking.
The LGBT+ rights charity compiles the list from the highest-scoring Workplace Equality Index submissions, based on anonymous employee surveys. It assesses the progress and achievements that organisations have made on workplace equality and building an inclusive environment for all staff in their UK operations.
The charity offers guidance and support on building inclusive workplaces that are open and accessible to as many people as possible, and allows employers to identify the steps they can take to build a more equitable environment.
Vodafone received recognition for its continuing commitment to equality and equity for all due to its employee training programmes, so staff can understand and support their LGBT+ colleagues. It was also praised for its HR policies, such as parental leave, gender-neutral language and internal employee network LGBT+ Friends, which organises events and initiatives throughout the year and advises on LGBT+ issues.
The organisation also attends key events such as Newbury Pride, UK Black Pride and Bi Pride, while its charitable arm Vodafone Foundation helped launch Zoteria, an app that LGBT+ people can use to report hate crimes and access help and support. Additionally, staff have in the past been recognised for their contributions to the community.
The top 10 employers for 2024 are:
1. Linklaters2. De Montfort University3. HSBC UK4. Touchstone5. Swansea University6. Vodafone7. The University of Manchester8 = Aviva8 = Teesside University9. Wrexham University10. Whitbread
Andrea Dona, chief network officer at Vodafone UK, said: “I’ve always been incredibly proud of our commitment to equality and the strong progress that I’ve witnessed, in all areas, across the five years that I’ve been here. Thanks to the experience and expertise that exists throughout Vodafone and our LGBT+ network, I’m confident that together we can ensure freedom and equality remain universal for everyone.”
