Defence organisations top workplace equality lists


The results of this year's UK Business in the Community (BITC) gender and race diversity survey have revealed the public sector's top 10 organisations for ethnicity and gender.

Taken from 67 entries across public and private sector organisations the results reflect the organisations who scored highest across comprehensive workplace metrics and case studies, inlcuding career progression, recruitment, supplier diversity and senior management and board representation.

Helen Wells, Director of Opportunity Now, the gender equality campaign within BITC, which has run the annual survey since 1998, said: "Inclusion [in the top 10] is the diversity standard all organisations will aspire to attain. We are looking at organisations that have moved the dial in terms of women's recruitment, retention and progression, and the same is true from an ethnicity point of view."

"Some of the organisations may seem a bit of a surprise, but it is because they are doing an awful lot," commented Ms Wells. It is fairly obvious that some organisations have particular diversity challenges, that they tend to be a macho, male environment for instance, but I wasn't surprised by any of these organisations being on this list because I work with them a lot.

"Sometimes you can look from outside and make assumptions about what it feels like to be in that organisation, but a lot of organisations are trying to create cultures that really mainstream diversity."

Top 10 public sector organisations for gender (unranked):

• British Army
• Civil Nuclear Constabulary
• Crown Prosecution Service
• Genesis
• HM Revenue & Customs
• Home Office
• Leicestershire Police
• Ministry of Justice
• Ofcom
• Royal Navy.

Top 10 public sector organisations for ethnicity (unranked):

• Crown Prosecution Service
• Genesis
• HM Revenue & Customs
• Home Office
• Leicestershire Police
• Ministry of Defence
• Ministry of Justice
• National Audit Office
• Ofcom
• Royal Air Force.

Business in the Community is a business-led charity focused on promoting responsible business practice.