Star Entertainment and DLA Piper were joint winners of the Employer of the Year award at this year’s Australian LGBTQ+ Inclusion Awards event.
Held on Friday, the Inclusion Awards are based on the results of submissions to the Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI), which allows Australian organisations to benchmark their LGBTQ+ inclusive policies and practices on an annual basis.
Global financial services group Macquarie Group took out the award for Employee Network of the Year, the University of Queensland won the Trans and Gender Inclusion award, while McCullough Robertson Lawyers won Small Employer of the Year.
“At Macquarie, we believe the diversity of our people is one of our greatest strengths and we are committed to continuing to identify opportunities for inclusion across our organisation,” wrote Macquarie Group on social media.
Dawn Emsen-Hough, ACON’s pride inclusion programs director, said the awards were “a testament to the remarkable commitment of organisations who understand that importance and the individuals who are strong visible allies for LGBTQ+ people at their places of work”.
ACON, which sponsors the event through its pride in diversity program, also awarded companies across Australia with platinum, gold, silver and bronze status, which demonstrates their commitment to inclusion.
“We have some record-breaking results within the AWEI submissions this year, highlighting the importance that participating organisations are placing on this work,” Emsen-Hough said.
“We know from the AWEI employee survey that many within our community have been impacted by the negativity and misinformation that is playing out in social media and the country more broadly.
“The number of people out [about their LGBTI+ identity] to all at work is continuing to decrease with respondents indicating that this is a significant reason. It is therefore critical that there remains a high level of focus on this important aspect of diversity and inclusion,” she said.
One of the individuals recognised was the chief executive of the Australian Financial Complaints Authority, David Locke, who won CEO of the Year.
“I’m honoured to receive this award, which is a reflection of the great work everyone has done to make AFCA an inclusive employer where everyone can thrive,” said Locke. “I am passionate about AFCA being a workplace where we are all valued, not in spite of who we are, but because of who we are; a place where there is no ‘other’.”
This year, the Australian LGBTQ+ Inclusion Awards were hosted by drag icon Courtney Act and broadcaster Jeremy Fernandez and held for the first time at the ICC grand ballroom.
Gay Sydney News reporter