Workplace and Economy/ Diversity Champions
“All employees should have the opportunity to perform at their best – meaning that they must feel comfortable in their environment. This is done through creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. We can take best advantage of our differences - for innovation. Our diversity is a competitive advantage and consciously building diverse teams helps us drive the best results for our clients.” Peter O’Neill, Country General Manager, IBM Ireland 2013.
GLEN launched the Diversity Champions Programme http://www.glen.ie/attachments/DiversityChampions.PDF which is Ireland’s first and only not-for-profit workplace programme designed specifically to assist Irish employers with the inclusion of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) employees. Members include major employers such as Accenture, IBM and University College Dublin, who as members receive a range of benefits and services including a dedicated client account manager, seminars on LGBT issues, networking events for LGBT employees, high quality training, benchmarking and other opportunities for companies to build their brand and reputation on diversity. The Diversity Champions Programme builds on a body of work and engagement between GLEN and major employers, employer organisations and trade unions. This has included:
- Development of GLEN’s Excellence in Diversity, www.excellenceindiversity.ie an on-line toolkit designed to help employers implement and benchmark good practice, and launched by Ernst & Young. It was funded by the Equality Mainstreaming Unit which is jointly funded by the European Social Fund 2007-2013 and by the Equality Authority
- Launch in 2010 by the then Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment of the GLEN Guide for Employers on LGBT Diversity, http://www.glen.ie/attachments/e518164e-cef4-4073-ac06-92918db2249e.PDF supported by IBEC (the main Irish employers’ organisation), IBM Ireland, Business in the Community, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the Equality Authority.
- Launch of joint GLEN/Irish Congress of Trade Union guide Being LGBT at Work: A Guide for LGBT People and Trade Unions. http://www.glen.ie/attachments/c2e25865-4ee4-4515-91d6-c2c4886349f7.PDF
GLEN has also responded to major employers in Ireland – Microsoft, Citigroup, Google, PwC and Dublin City University - seeking information on Civil Partnership, which has major implications for employment law and practice. The new law provides for equal treatment between married couples and civil partners in pension provision, workplace benefits and the new equality ground of civil status. Economic Case for Diversity and Equality
“Dublin is now a multi-cultural city, and this diversity is now part of the identity of the city. Equality and social justice can contribute to Dublin’s international competitiveness”. Andrew Montague, Lord Mayor of Dublin 2011. GLEN and Dublin City Council worked successfully on a project to build a consensus on the economic case for equality. This culminated in a seminar event Globalisation, Diversity and Economic Renewal launched by the Lord Mayor of Dublin and featuring Professor Sean Kay, author of Celtic Revival? The Rise, Fall and Renewal of Global Ireland as the keynote speaker. The event also involved prominent speakers prominent from the areas of economic and business policy development including. GLEN also published a report Equality, Diversity and Economic Competitiveness. The project was funded by the European Unions’ PROGRESS Programme (2007-2013) and the Equality Authority. http://www.glen.ie/news-post.aspx?contentid=998&title=glendublin_city_council_seminar_on_globalisation_diversity_and_economic_renewal
Read more about this topic: Gay And Lesbian Equality Network
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