Jacobs successfully retained 'Gold' status in Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers for LGBTQ+ People

Jacobs is officially making history — today we retained coveted “Gold” status in Stonewall’s Top 100 Employers for LGBTQ+ People Index, once again ranking #6 on their list. This is a clear demonstration of the ongoing work we’re doing to attract, retain and empower the industry’s best LGBTQ+ talent in the U.K.

Our team takes on London Pride, photo courtesy of Mike Franklin Photography

Stonewall is the U.K.’s leading charity for lesbian, gay, bi and trans equality — their Top 100 Employers List recognizes exceptional employers who are committed to supporting their LGBTQ+ staff and customers. Organizations are ranked by a set of standardized criteria, which includes ensuring HR policies are inclusive of LGBTQ+ people, as well as supporting and celebrating LGBTQ+ identities at work.

“Maintaining our position as #6 in the Stonewall Index is a huge testament to Prism — our global employee network for LGBTQ+ people and their allies — our TogetherBeyond team at Jacobs, and the continued focus and passion that goes into delivering an inclusive working environment," says Jacobs Senior Vice President and General Manager Kate Kenny (she/her). "It’s a fantastic achievement, and I’m proud to be leading a business that strives for an inclusive culture where LGBTQ+ people can excel.”

The importance of creating inclusive workplaces is underlined by Nancy Kelley (she/her), CEO of Stonewall, who shares, “It’s been fantastic to see all of the work put in by Jacobs over the past year to create a workplace where LGBTQ+ staff feel free to thrive as themselves. For many of us, the majority of our time is spent at work, so if we have to hide who we are it can take an enormous personal toll and hold us back from fulfilling our true potential. Creating environments where we can all feel comfortable makes our workplaces a safer, better and friendlier place for everyone and helps staff be proud of who they are.”

Some of the achievements central to this historic score — and globally, our top score in the U.S. Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index and Australian Workplace Equality Index — include:

• Ensuring all key Jacobs family policies (maternity, paternity, shared parental leave, adoption leave, bereavement leave) are inclusive of all families, regardless of gender or gender identity — and providing equitable private medical benefits for same-sex partners in Poland, despite those partnerships not being recognized by local law.
   
• Creating policies to support employees who are transitioning or have transitioned at work, to ensure they have the support available to feel completely themselves, including the creation of designated “Transgender Specialists” within our Human Resources organization.
   
• Changing job descriptions to include an explicit statement that we accept people for who they are, irrespective of gender identity or sexual orientation.
   
• Partnering with LGBTQ+ charities such as Stonewall Housing and Albert Kennedy Trust to help raise awareness of issues like homelessness, mental health and HIV/AIDS.
   
• Working with partners, clients and competitors across the U.K. to further LGBTQ+ inclusion and share best practices.
   
• Hosting regular local and global events to highlight and raise awareness of LGBTQ+ identities and creating fact sheets to help educate colleagues and recruit allies. 

While this news is worth celebrating, our global team is committed to continually raising the bar for inclusion at Jacobs — we look forward to improving our score even more in 2024!