Stonewall, the gay equality organisation, has produced a free 40-page ‘toolkit’ offering practical help and advice to employers on how to comply with the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations which came into force on 1 December 2003.
The booklet, The Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations: Guidelines for Employers, features best practice guidance developed by members of Stonewall’s Diversity Champions scheme, ranging from BT, Barclays plc, Royal Bank of Scotland and JP Morgan in the private sector to the Inland Revenue, Home Office and Birmingham City Council in the public sector.
It also features a detailed outline of the legislation and what it will mean in practice and a sample diversity policy from Nationwide.
Niccola Swan, Director of Equality and Diversity at Barclays plc, said: “Sexual orientation is at the heart of our diversity strategy. At Barclays, we believe strongly that every individual counts.”
“Many of Britain’s best employers have already recognised that recruiting and retaining the very best human capital is vital to delivering world class goods and services in both the private and public sectors,” said Ben Summerskill, Chief Executive of Stonewall. “An effective approach to diversity can make a key contribution to organisational excellence.”
