Wednesday 23 September 2015: EY was named Employer of the Year in the 2015 LGBT Workplace Equality Awards at an award ceremony in Dublin yesterday. Announced by GLEN, these awards recognise, companies and leaders that are showing the real value that being an LGBT inclusive organisation brings to Irish workplaces and businesses.

“We are delighted to recognise the companies and executives who are leading the way in making Irish workplaces fully inclusive of LGBT people” said Kieran Rose, GLEN Co-Chair. “. They are playing an integral role in creating a business culture in Ireland that values the skills, ideas and creativity that LGBT people bring to the workplace” said Rose.
In its inaugural year, EY also claimed three other leadership awards in the Workplace Equality Index including:

1. Mike McKerr, Country Managing Partner for EY was recognised as Ally of the Year for advocating among clients and stakeholders the numerous opportunities that LGBT diversity and inclusion present in the workplace, and for demonstrating an outstanding level of support for LGBT colleagues.
2. Catherine Vaughan was named as LGBT Inclusion Champion of the Year. Catherine won the honour for her work demonstrating the value that driving LGBT diversity and inclusiveness can have on an organisation, for founding Unity here in Ireland, and for being an active spokesperson for LGBT equality in the workplace.
3. Finally, EY’s Unity Network one the LGBT Employee Network of the Year.

Commenting on EY’s success, Catherine Vaughan, EY’s Global Compliance Leader says: “I am immensely proud of today’s announcement. Being recognised as Employer of the Year and receiving three leadership awards is a real achievement, particularly given the competitive nature of the Workplace Equality Index. Equality in the workplace is something that everyone should value and strive for. We are committed to creating an environment where everyone can succeed.

The index is a benchmark for private and public sector organisations. The Index requires employers to answer questions and provide supporting evidence on the following five areas of LGBT diversity: Diversity Leadership, Policy and Practices, Diversity Culture, LGBT Visibility, Diverse Business.

EY’s success has been attributed to a number of progressive initiatives, which include the firm’s leading role in the development of the concept of inclusive leadership, Unity Network, engagement with clients about sexual orientation as a workplace issue, and strong leadership driven from the top.

Mike McKerr, Country Managing Partner for EY Ireland, “To say we are thrilled and proud to be named is truly an understatement. We believe that a strong commitment to diversity and inclusiveness is not only important for our people, but is also good business in an increasingly competitive environment. We invest a lot of time and energy into trying to create an environment where all our people, regardless of sexual orientation, gender, or ethnicity, are able to be themselves and succeed in the workplace. EY’s Unity network for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and their allies has had a big part to play in this success and in our ongoing leadership in the field of workplace equality”.

Ends:
For Further information – please contact, Barbara Nestor, +353 (0)87 9268066

Notes to Editor:

About EY’s Unity Network
The EY Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Network UNITY is EY’s network which supports the firm’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people. The group provides a forum for internal and external networking, and acts as a social and support group. We have been in existence in Ireland for over 5 years. Membership is open to all EY people with an interest in LGBT concerns, with members at all levels of the firm. There are more than 50 members in Ireland connected to 1,700 members in 90 EY locations globally. UNITY exists to foster an atmosphere of respect and inclusiveness, where the contribution of LGBT people to EY and its reputation is recognised and developed.

About the workplace equality index

The top five companies in the inaugural ‘Best Places to Work for LGBT People’ are:
First – EY – Employer of the Year | Second – IBM | Third – Accenture | Fourth – Microsoft

• 2015 is the inaugural year of GLEN’s Workplace Equality Index. The event was held in the Westin Hotel, Dublin, on the 22nd September. Miriam O’Callaghan was the special guest master of ceremonies. The event was attended by executive leaders, senior partners, EMEA & Ireland HR Directors and LGBT Employee Network Leads of some of Ireland’s largest companies.
• Full details of the awards can be found at www.workplaceequality.ie
• The Workplace Equality Index is an industry benchmark which mirrors those benchmarks used internationally for LGBT workplace inclusion.
• The Workplace Equality Index has been co-funded by the Equality Mainstreaming Unit which is jointly funded by the European Social Fund and by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission.