Best Practice

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See some of the best examples of work being done in the areas that the Index tests participants on.


1 Employee Policy

Strong and robust policies are necessary to underpin an effective approach to tackling workplace discrimination. From ensuring equal access to benefits for same-sex partners to communicating zero tolerance of bullying, employee policy is the foundation of a working environment that respects all individuals.

2 Employee Engagement 

Informing, educating and supporting all employees in relation to sexual orientation are vital steps towards creating an inclusive workplace culture. Employee engagement can include providing lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) colleagues with the support to feel comfortable being ‘out’ at work, or using internal communication channels to raise all employees’ awareness of issues affecting LGB people.

Environment Agency

Lloyds Banking Group 

3 Staff Training and Development

Training is a valuable tool in raising awareness of lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) issues in the workplace, and should be aimed at all staff. Successful training will equip staff to foster an inclusive working environment and reinforce the message that they do not need to tolerate discrimination of any kind.

Accenture

University of Cambridge 

4 Monitoring

Monitoring and evaluation are critical to ensuring that workplace diversity initiatives are successful. In addition to enabling organisations to check that diversity policy is being implemented effectively, monitoring the sexual orientation of employees provides invaluable management intelligence. Through monitoring, an employer can manage its workforce more effectively, improve diversity strategy and measure progress over time.

The Co-operative 

5 Supplier Policy

By embedding equality and diversity in tendering, contract awards and contract management processes, employers protect themselves from the risk of engaging partner organisations that do not comply with equality legislation. They also avoid exposing their own staff to discriminatory working environments. This can involve testing suppliers through the tendering or procurement process and working with existing suppliers to improve their policies.

Barclays 

6 LGB Community Engagement

Progressive employers recognise that being forward-thinking on lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) equality is not only crucial in the labour market – LGB people are also consumers and service users, representing a market estimated to be worth £70-81 billion per year in Britain alone. For many LGB people – and the wider population – an organisation’s attitude towards the LGB community is just as important as its behaviour as an employer.

Bristol City Council

Baker & McKenzie 

7 Pink Plateau

Significant barriers still exist for lesbian, gay and bisexual people getting to the top of organisations and – more important – feeling able to be ‘out’ in these roles. LGB visibility at the senior levels of an organisation is a powerful indicator of equality and provides inspiration to other staff.

Home Office