stonewall 2017

Asda has secured a place in the top 25 most LGBT-friendly companies to work for in the Stonewall Top 100 Employers.

The retailer was also shortlisted for both LGBT Role Model of the Year and Straight Ally of the Year by the equality campaign group, having moved up 58 places in its index since last year.

Asda has its own LGBT steering group, which it says has helped drive colleague and community engagement including taking part in more than 30 Pride events and sponsoring Sparkle - the UK’s biggest transgender pride event. Asda also won ‘Employer of the Year’ at the British LGBT Awards and Sparkle’s ‘Transgender Organisation of the Year’ in 2016.

The Stonewall Top 100 Employers list is compiled from submissions to the workplace equality index, a benchmarking tool used by employers to create inclusive workplaces. Now in its 13th year, the list aims to celebrate the efforts of leading organisations to create LGBT-friendly workplaces.

Hayley Tatum, Asda’s senior vice president of people, said: “At Asda, respect for the individual is one of our core values so diversity and inclusion is right at the heart of our business. We want every colleague to let their personality shine through so they can come to work and be themselves.

“We are proud to be included in Stonewall’s LGBT-friendly employer list and to increase our ranking so significantly is an incredible achievement.

“But we’re not complacent. Our LGBT steering group continues to play a vital role in driving forward our diversity and inclusion agenda, we are sharpening our approach to working with LGBT Pride events and we will continue to engage and support our colleagues in the local communities we serve.”

Duncan Bradshaw, director of membership programmes at Stonewall, said: “Asda and all those who have made this year’s Top 100 Employers list have done a fantastic job, and really do put equality and inclusion at the forefront of their work.”

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