Stonewall champions employment law change

Stonewall, the leading gay equality organisation, has marked the new regulations outlawing discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation with an innovative programme of awareness raising. The programme has been sponsored by the Department of Trade & Industry and Barclays plc.

The new Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations came into force on 1st December 2003 but many employers and employees remain unaware of the new protections for lesbian, gay and bisexual staff.

Ben Summerskill, Chief Executive of Stonewall, said: The new regulations are a major landmark in the working lives of hundreds of thousands of people in Britain ñ but only if people use their new protections and only if companies value their diverse workforce. This campaign seeks to bring the changes to the forefront of peopleís minds.

Stonewall has produced a plain English user-friendly briefing for employees on the new regulations. Two hundred and forty thousand leaflets and postcards targeted at lesbians, gay men and bisexuals will be distributed across Britain.

Stonewall is also publishing a free 40-page ëtoolkití for employers faced with meeting the challenge of the new regulations. The booklet features best practice developed by members of Stonewallís Diversity Champions scheme. Scheme members, who include major public and private sector employers such as Barclays, IBM, HBOS and the Home Office, now employ almost 2.8 million people. Both publications are also downloadable from the Stonewall website www.stonewall.org.uk.

On 24 March, Stonewall will be hosting a major conference at Londonís QEII Conference Centre showcasing some of the best practice of its Diversity Champions. Keynote speakers will include Trade & Industry Secretary Patricia Hewitt, Will Hutton, Chief Executive of the Work Foundation, and Chris Lendrum, Vice Chairman of Barclays plc.

Senior staff from a range of companies and organisations participating in Stonewallís Diversity Champions scheme will be running break-out sessions on the new legal framework, and best practice in recruitment and retention, monitoring and supporting lesbian, gay and bisexual staff. The conference will end with a reception sponsored by HM Prison Service.

Niccola Swan, Director of Equality and Diversity at Barclays plc, said: Barclays is delighted to be working with Stonewall, which has been at the forefront of promoting innovation in this area. Sexual orientation is at the heart of our diversity strategy. At Barclays, we believe strongly that every individual counts.

Ben Summerskill said: Many of Britainís 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. Our experience working with employers across the country is that an effective approach to diversity can make a key contribution to organisational excellence.