We’re one of the best employers for LGBTQ+ inclusion

Rolls-Royce recognised for being a place where our LGBTQ+ colleagues can be at their best and feel like they belong.

Rolls-Royce has been placed in the UK’s ‘Stonewall Top 100 Employers’ List and rated ‘Gold’ for LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Queer +) inclusion for the first time; recognising the huge progress we’ve made in recent years.

The news comes shortly after Rolls-Royce North America received a perfect score for the fifth year running in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index for LGBTQ+ inclusion.

Chief Procurement Officer and UK employee resource group, Prism’s-co sponsor, Warrick Matthews said,

"I'm so happy we're being recognised; it really shows just how much progress we've made and how different it feels to be an LGBTQ+ member of the Rolls-Royce team. Very few engineering companies have featured in the Stonewall Top 100 Employers list, so for Rolls-Royce to appear really makes us stand out from the crowd."

"For a sustainable future we need to have innovation, diversity of thought, and a workplace that allows everyone to thrive. Our achievements with Stonewall demonstrate that we are an inclusive employer and that will help attract and retain the best talent.’’

This progress has been driven by our LGBTQ+ employee resource groups (ERGs); Propel with Pride in the US, and Prism in the UK – volunteers who are passionate about making Rolls-Royce a better place to work for everyone.

"The work we are doing here matters," said Kelsey Mitchell, Chair of Propel with Pride. "We have set the standard that everyone deserves to feel safe, supported, and to be 100% themselves at work - anything less is unacceptable."

What do the Stonewall awards recognise?

The Stonewall Top 100 Employers List ranks organisations on their efforts and commitment to creating welcoming environments for their LGBTQ+ employees - including employee experience, policy, leadership, and collaboration with customers.

We are now ranked at 44 and our breakthrough comes after several years of steady progress and improvements.

The Gold Employer Award is also recognition of our commitment to becoming an LGBTQ+ inclusive employer - part of the Stonewall ‘Bring Yourself to Work’ campaign which highlights the importance of inclusive work environments.

Inclusion and Diversity Lead and Prism founder, Greg-Turner Smart added, “Our long-term goal when we launched Prism was to help Rolls-Royce become a Stonewall Top 100 company and it’s a fantastic feeling to have achieved that. While we’ll savour and enjoy the moment, we’ll also be continuing the brilliant work that’s taking place to make us the best place to work for LBGTQ+ people.”

Do these awards really make a difference to how it feels to work at Rolls-Royce?

Jake Hallas, Supply Chain Operations Manager and Prism Chair says yes, “It’s not just a tick box exercise – every time we implement a recommendation, we’re making Rolls-Royce a more inclusive place to work and making someone’s life a little bit better.”

SVP Commercial and Legal and Prism co-sponsor Jane Stockwell agrees, “As a gay woman, I have always felt supported and have been fortunate not to experience any prejudice during my working life at Rolls-Royce. This recognition will hopefully further evidence this is a safe and great place to work for LGBTQ+ people, both existing and future colleagues. It’s required the support of so many people across the business, so to see this recognition come through is a moment we should all be incredibly proud of.”

Find out more about inclusion and our employee resource groups https://careers.rolls-royce.com/united-kingdom/what-we-offer/employee-networks

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