Manchester again hailed as UK’s top gay-friendly local authority
9 January 2008
For the fourth year in a row, Manchester City Council has been voted the top local authority in the list of Britain’s top 100 employers of lesbian and gay people.
Its reputation as a committed equal opportunities employer was further strengthened when Pink Paper readers voted it Employer of the Year and Best Council, in their annual awards.
The council has been voted the highest-ranking local authority in the 2008 Corporate Equality Index, compiled by Stonewall, the lesbian and gay lobbying organisation.
The Index, which is compiled annually, identifies the 100 best employers of gay and lesbian employees in the UK. Participating organisations were questioned about their employment practices, including the benefits and support services they provided for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.
The index ranks employers according to a range of 20 criteria, from having a non-discrimination policy promoted to all staff, to advertising in the pink media, and from supporting a lesbian and gay employee network group, to having an openly gay senior member of staff.
The council has a policy of sexuality monitoring of the workforce to make sure that all employees are treated equally and recruitment and employment policies are fair.
The council's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employee group plays an essential role in championing LGBT equality within the authority, and developing the organisation's equality and diversity agenda. The group is regularly consulted on employment rights, benefits and development, as a key equality and diversity stakeholder.
Manchester City Council's lead member on gay issues, Councillor Paul Fairweather, said: "I am delighted that our achievements have been recognised again this year, in the face of fierce competition. Equal opportunities are an integral part of the city council's culture and it is fantastic to see that recognised in these awards.
"We have a genuine commitment to ensuring that all employees work in an environment where they feel comfortable, secure and confident that they can fulfil their potential regardless of sexual orientation."
Media contacts:
Rebecca Kennedy/Deborah Grace, tel: 0161 234 3332
