Camden Council 47th on Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers List for LGBTQ+ people
Camden Council is 47th in Stonewall latest list of Top Employers for LGBTQ+ people – ranking first out of all council entrants in England.
The list is available to view here - The Full List: Top 100 Employers 2022.
It marks huge progress as the last time Camden Council submitted to the index in 2019, it ranked 249 out of over 500 organisations, and 19th out of 33 local authority entrants.
Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers List ranks organisations on their efforts and commitment to creating welcoming environments for their lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer staff. Organisations are ranked by a set of standardised criteria, which includes ensuring HR policies are inclusive of LGBTQ+ people, as well as supporting and celebrating LGBTQ+ identities at work.
In Camden, we welcome everyone, we challenge inequality and discrimination, and we are proud to be open and diverse. Our new position in Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers List is testament to our hard work and commitment to make Camden a more equal and inclusive environment.
“There is more work for us to do around LGBTQ+ equality and to improve experiences for our LGBTQ+ colleagues. Stonewall will give us more detailed feedback in the next few weeks on our achievements and where we can do more, which we’ll look at closely to ensure we’re creating an inclusive environment where all LGBTQ+ staff feel valued, safe and respected every day.
Councillor Rishi Madlani, LGBTQ+ Champion at Camden Council, said: “This news is a fantastic way to mark the end of LGBTQ+ History Month!
“Camden Council is showing it is committed to becoming a truly inclusive organization, which creates the conditions to allow staff to be their best selves at work. We know that having a diverse workforce that mirrors all sections of our communities will help us to deliver more inclusive, policies and services to help our residents.
“In my role as LGBTQ+ Champion, I’ll continue to work closely with the Council’s Leadership and our Rainbow Camden: LGBTQ+ Workers Group to make sure that we’re listening to and acting on the lived experiences and feedback of our LGBTQ+ colleagues and communities.”
In recent years Camden Council has:
- Made its HR policies LGBTQ+ inclusive – this includes enhancing its Family Support Leave policy to represent all types of families, and updating its Dignity at Work policy to be clear about what homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying and harassment looks like.
- Shared a diverse range of staff stories and celebrated important days for our LGBTQ+ communities – including Pride month; Black Pride; Trans Pride; LGBT+ History Month; International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia; Bi Visibility Day and Transgender Day of Remembrance
- Updated its commitment to trans equality statement – to help ensure that trans staff are treated with respect and that the council provides a positive and supportive working environment. The statement also includes guidance for managers and colleagues whose team member is transitioning and links to resources that trans staff may wish to access in order to receive further support
- Developed a truly inclusive approach to recruitment – the Council has reviewed where it advertises its jobs and has partnered with Stonewall and Proud employers.
Liz Ward, Director of Programmes at Stonewall, said: “We’re delighted for Camden Council who’s incredible work towards LGBTQ+ inclusion this year has seen them land at 47th place in the Top 100. Every employer has a duty to make sure that their LGBTQ+ staff are free from discrimination at work, and our Top 100 list, alongside our Workplace Equality Index helps organisations reflect on their inclusion journey and celebrate best practice.
“We spend much of our time at work, and our career can be a huge part of how we define ourselves. That’s why it’s vital that every single lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer person feels like they can be themselves in their workplace.”