BWCI has been a member of DIFERA since 2018. This is Liberate’s employer accreditation scheme which awards organisations with a quality mark to demonstrate that the six principles of Diversity, Inclusion, Fairness, Equality, Respect and Acceptance are at the heart of what the organisation does.
This year BWCI appointed a group of DIFERA “champions” to help raise awareness and promote equality in the workplace. Our champions have been working together to raise awareness of a range of topics. We recognise that it is important to talk openly about the challenges and lived experiences of our colleagues and friends as this helps challenge stigma, creating a safe environment at work and learning about “allyship”. All employees, regardless of how they identify, should feel respected and safe in the workplace.
Our champions are keen to spread awareness of topics that others may have limited knowledge about or are just not sure about how to approach the subject. Small changes can help and support individuals who may be LGBTQ+, have a disability or just struggle generally in the workplace.
Making small gestures of allyship could be as simple as leaving the coffee in the same place so that a person who is visually impaired can find it easily, or adding pronouns to your email signature.
Each month our DIFERA champions select a theme or event to help raise awareness of a particular topic. Here are some of the initiatives that our DIFERA champions have been highlighting in recent months:
What is allyship?
This is a relatively new concept of supporting a marginalised group by someone who is not part of that group. Allyship in the working environment promotes staff equality and inclusion.
Statistics sources* LGBTQ+ facts and figures | Stonewall World Suicide Prevention Day – Mental Health UK (mentalhealth-uk.org)