The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is among a list of top employers who have been recognised for creating inclusive workplaces for lesbian, gay and bisexual employees, Vigilance can reveal.
The MOD has won the award for Most Improved Employer in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index 2014. The award is given to the employer who makes the greatest improvement against the Index criteria in the previous 12 months and recognises the efforts made by the department for its 50,000 civilian employees.
According to a reliable source the MOD strengthened its performance in every area of good practice and was particularly praised by Stonewall for its work on community engagement which helped the department rise from 174th place last year to 35th in 2014.
Vigilance learnt The Armed Forces are also well represented in the Index: The Army makes it into the Top 100 for the first time ever in 79th, a position it shares with the Royal Navy, and the RAF is 108th.
Defence Minister Anna Soubry said: “This is excellent news and reward for the hard work the department has made to create a positive working environment for its lesbian, gay and bisexual civilian employees. The MOD and the three Services want to create a workforce that is drawn from the breadth of the society we defend, that gains strength from that society’s range of knowledge, experience and talent and that welcomes, respects and values the unique contribution of every individual.”
Particularly core to the department’s success has been the work done by their Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Network, a social and career support forum for LGBT civilian staff. Impressively, the network offers a range of support for the career development of staff members.
Philip Oliver, chairman of the LGBT Network, said: “The LGBT Network has come into it’s own this year and I am really pleased that the MOD has received this award. I pay credit to the commitment and professionalism shown by my colleagues across the Department who regularly go the extra mile to ensure the MOD is an employer of choice for LGB individuals.”
Major General James Everard, the Army LBGT champion, said: “The fact that for the first time the Army has been recognised as one of Stonewell's top 100 LGB employers is evidence that we are gaining real momentum. The Army is a great place to work, and our LBGT community can feel it with individuals thriving as they make their contribution to the team. The credit falls in large part to the LBGT Forum who have moved under dynamic leadership from a small welfare support group to a vibrant and productive organisation
Ben Summerskill, Stonewall Chief Executive, said: “From sponsoring Gay & Lesbian Youth Northern Ireland to advertising in pink media, the MOD have made a visible commitment to the lesbian, gay and bisexual community and have actively raised their profile as an employer of choice for gay staff. Every single employer in the Top 100 has performed remarkably this year as competition for a place on the list of gay-friendly employers has never been fiercer.”