Network Rail #1 in top 10 disability-inclusive employers and #4 in the top 10 LGBT-inclusive employers 2018
The Top Inclusive Employers of 2018 awards from Vercida, an award-winning diversity jobs board recognise excellence and commitment to workplace equality and diversity in the UK.
Entrants are judged according to factors like diversity initiatives within their own business, partnerships with diverse initiatives, external awards received that year and how they rank as candidate favourites.
This year’s award process was highly competitive, considering over 160 organisations, and Network Rail was highly recognised in the top ten employers across two major categories.
It also comes after Network Rail’s participation at the start of the month in the International Day of Disabled Persons – #PurpleLightUp day – lighting up some of the biggest and busiest stations in the UK in purple to promote an understanding of disability issues.
#1 Disability-Inclusive Employer 2018
Reasons cited for the award include:
- Becoming a Level 3 Disability Confident employer, gaining recognition among peer organisations.
- Network Rail act as a champion within their local and business community, their supply chain and networks.
- Celebrated Disability Week. From 16-20 July this year Can Do, Network Rail’s employee-run support network for colleagues with disabilities, facilitated a week of events and activities to help everyone think differently about disabilities, whether physical or mental, visible or non-visible, and how they can support colleagues in the work place or personally.
#4 LGBT-Inclusive Employer 2018
Network Rail were found to be going the extra mile in a number of ways:
- Archway, Network Rail’s LGBT network, was founded in 2013 and has grown to one of the company’s largest employee networks.
- Members come from every level and area of the organisation, from maintenance to signalling, operations and engineering.
- Archway’s work spans the length of Great Britain and is focussed in three core areas: Welfare, Socials & Events and Internal Consultancy.
- Working across the organisation – and the wider industry – Archway is leading on LGBT inclusion in Britain’s railways. Archway’s aim is to build an inclusive and diverse company for the benefit of all employees, and one which represents the communities it serves’.
It caps a great couple of years for Network Rail and Archway. Babak Erfani, chair of Archway, was made a Member of the British Empire (MBE) in 2017 and Jane Owen, Archway member and former chair of the national transgender charity Sparkle was awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 2018 New Year’s Honours List.
Being recognised as the no 1 inclusive employer for disabled employees, and no 4 for LBGT+ employees is a significant achievement for Network Rail. It’s a great acknowledgement of the tireless work of my team, and the dedicated support from the likes of our diversity champions and members of CanDo our disabled employees network and our LBGT+ employee network Archway. It’s also positive proof of our leading the industry to being a more open, diverse and inclusive environment.
Loraine Martins, – Director Diversity & Inclusion, Network Rail
For more information on our commitment to a diverse and inclusive culture, please visit www.networkrail.co.uk/diversity