A lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) employee network group is a formal mechanism for enabling lesbian, gay and bisexual staff to come together to share information and support. Stonewall's research shows that it is a valuable workplace resource that can benefit the organisation, employees, customers and clients.
The guide covers the following areas:
Employers across Britain increasingly recognise the importance of a commitment to diversity, which includes engaging with the needs of their lesbian and gay staff. At Stonewall we recognise that implementing effective policies and procedures to support gay staff can be challenging. That's why we have produced this guide to help you set up a network group, both to serve the needs of your gay staff and to further the equality agenda of your organisation.
Establishing a lesbian and gay network group will make your gay staff a visible element of your workforce. It will provide a forum for unique networking opportunities and a means of peer support between gay staff. It will also enable you, as an employer, to engage directly with the needs of gay staff and to recognise which policies may
impact on lesbian and gay employees, and what changes can be made to improve staff experiences.
Such a step isn't just important for your staff; it's good for business and service delivery too. Gay people are becoming increasingly aware of their economic power as consumers and increasingly want to work or engage only with organisations committed to equality.
Setting up a lesbian and gay network group is a key step to ensuring effective equality within your workplace. We hope you'll find this guide useful, and are extremely grateful to the Stonewall Diversity Champions featured throughout who gave us unique insight into the workings of their own groups.
BEN SUMMERSKILL
Chief Executive, Stonewall
Click here to download a .pdf version of the guide.
This guide has been produced with the support of Aviva and Morley Fund Management.
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