Lloyds Banking Group has been named in the Stonewall inaugural Top Transgender Inclusive Employers list, an unranked list of employers that have demonstrated substantial efforts in supporting their transgender colleagues.

In addition, the Group has been named in the top five most inclusive employers in Britain as part of the annual Stonewall Workplace Equality Index, a benchmarking tool used by employers to measure their progress on LGBT inclusion in the workplace.

The Group, which topped the list last year, has also retained its position as the Top Financial Services Employer for the fourth year in a row, demonstrating its commitment to ensuring all colleagues can feel confident in bringing their true selves to work and reach their full potential.

The Group was recognised for its efforts in embedding a trans inclusive approach in its strategy to increase inclusion and diversity for its colleagues and customer base. In 2017 this included:

• Launching trans inclusive advertisements for one of the Group’s leading brands with the taglines ‘This is who I am’, and ‘I haven’t changed’ receiving positive feedback from the trans community.
• Developing a Transgender Awareness ‘idesk’, an interactive tool designed to give all colleagues a better understanding of trans related issues, showcasing best practice.
• Supporting Bisexual Awareness Day and Transgender Day of Visibility, with events, social media campaigns, and by flying the bisexual flag and transgender flag at 35 of the Groups offices.
• Establishing a trans customer journey, sponsored at Executive Level, with representation from the trans community to prioritise change that matters most to trans and non-binary customers.

In 2016, the Group became the first major UK employer to extend its private healthcare to include treatment and support for transgender colleagues, ranging from counselling to gender reassignment surgery.

In 2017 the Group made a public commitment as part of its Helping Britain Prosper Plan to increase the engagement levels of LGBT colleagues to 70% by 2020.

One of the ways this was achieved was through support from the Group’s LGBT colleague network, Rainbow, which has over 5,000 members and focuses on professional development, providing mentoring, networking opportunities and promoting visible role models and allies.

Karin Cook, Lloyds Banking Group executive sponsor for sexual orientation and gender identity, said: “We are proud to be recognised by Stonewall as a leading transgender (trans) inclusive employer. We work hard to ensure that our transgender and non-binary colleagues feel able to be themselves and reach their full potential, as well as striving to improve our services and interactions for our trans customers.

“However, we do not want to stop here and recognise there is still more to do. That is why we are working in partnership with the trans community to ensure we provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for all.”

Fiona Cannon, Lloyds Banking Group director of responsible business and inclusion, said: “‘We are delighted to retain our position of Top Financial Services Employer for a fourth consecutive year and remain a leading organisation in the Stonewall Top 100 employers list. As the UK’s largest digital bank, we know how important it is for our colleagues and customers to feel included and that the Group is a place where everyone feels comfortable to be their true self. We have an ongoing commitment to ensure we remain among the most inclusive employers for all of our colleagues, which sits at the heart of our ambition to help Britain prosper.”

Darren Towers, executive director of Stonewall, has said: “Lloyds Banking Group, and all those who have made this year’s Top 100 Employers list, have done a fantastic job. Taking part in our Index shows real commitment to understanding and advancing LGBT equality.

“This year, for the first time, the Index looked at what employers were doing for trans equality in the workplace. This work is crucial. We recently published LGBT in Britain: Trans Report, which revealed the profound inequality facing trans people in Britain today. Half of trans people have hidden their identity at work for fear of discrimination. This must change and it’s encouraging to see so many organisations make a commitment to trans equality. With their support and hard work we can create a world where all lesbian, gay, bi and trans employees are welcomed and accepted without exception.”