DLA Piper, The Star Entertainment Group, McCullough Robertson Lawyers, Macquarie Group and The University of Queensland are among this year’s top employers announced at this year’s Australian LGBTQ+ Inclusion Awards.
Both DLA Piper and The Star Entertainment Group tied for ‘Employer of the Year,’ while McCullough Robertson Lawyers was announced as ‘Small Employer of the Year.’
Other top honours went to organisations including Accenture, Australian Taxation Office, Capgemini, Clayton Utz, Deloitte, EY Oceania, MinterEllison, NAB, PwC, QBE Insurance, Queensland Department of Education, RMIT University, Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), UNSW Sydney, and Woolworths Group.
These 16 organisations are members of Pride in Diversity and were recognised for their long-term, high scoring performance within the AWEI Submission. In obtaining Gold Tier Status for four out of the last five consecutive submission years, their results firmly establish them as Platinum Tier Employers. This is the highest ranking within the AWEI Submission results.
First held in 2011, the Awards are based on the results of the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Submissions, which allows Australian organisations to benchmark their LGBTQ+ inclusive policies and practice on an annual basis. The event acknowledges and celebrates the organisations demonstrating foundational and progressive efforts toward making all workplaces inclusive for all.
Dawn Emsen-Hough, Director of ACON’s Pride Inclusion Programs, said she was proud to see employers around the country continue to commit themselves to improving LGBTQ+ inclusion practice despite issues that are continuing to have an impact globally.
“We have some record-breaking results within the AWEI Submissions this year, highlighting the importance that participating organisations are placing on this work,” said Emsen-Hough.
“We know from the AWEI Employee Survey that many within our community have been impacted by the negativity and misinformation that is playing out in social media and the country more broadly.”
“The number of people out to all at work is continuing to decrease with respondents indicating that this is a significant reason. It is therefore critical that there remains a high level of focus on this important aspect of Diversity and Inclusion.”
“These awards are a testament to the remarkable commitment of organisations who understand that importance and the individuals who are strong visible allies for LGBTQ+ people at their places of work.”
“We hope this sends a powerful message to Australian employees that we are working incredibly hard to ensure that you can feel safe and empowered to bring your whole self to work,” said Emsen-Hough.
This year, the Australian LGBTQ+ Inclusion Awards were hosted by drag icon Courtney Act and broadcaster Jeremy Fernandez and held for the first time at the ICC Grand Ballroom.
The sold-out event is produced by Pride in Diversity, the national not-for-profit diversity inclusion program spearheaded by Australia’s largest LGBTQ+ health organisation ACON.
For more information and full list of recipients: visit: www.pid-awei.com.au for details.
Image: Representatives from DLA Piper and The Star Entertainment Group – Employer of the Year Award Joint Winners