Ford Achieves Rankings Boost in Independent LGBTQ+ Inclusion Assessment

DUNTON, UK – Ford of Britain has achieved its highest score for more than 10 years in the annual Stonewall Workplace Equality Index assessment which measures LGBTQ+ inclusion.

Stonewall is Europe’s largest charity for lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, questioning and ace (LGBTQ+) people. Established 18 years ago, the Workplace Equality Index (WEI) is a wide-ranging and intensive LGBTQ+ inclusion benchmarking tool that is designed to acknowledge and evaluate employers’ inclusion work, as well as allowing them to measure their progress over time.

In the latest assessment, Ford of Britain was ranked 115th?overall – a significant improvement on the previous year when the company was placed 242nd. As a result, Ford picks up Stonewall’s Bronze Award.

It comes on the back of a very proactive 2022 which saw the company successfully take its LGBT+ messaging into the wider community through increasing awareness of the Very Gay Raptor and engaging actively in social media and YouTube with #ToughTalks.

Lara Nichol, manager, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Ford of Britain, said: “Previously, we were ranked 242nd, so this is a huge jump in places, and such great news to celebrate during LGBT+ History Month. A massive thank you to Ed Rogers, James Braddy, Jon Mundy and Ford Pride for the huge contribution they have made to this accomplishment and to everyone who supported the audit process.”

Ford Pride is Ford’s inclusive employee resource group for LGBTQIA+ employees and allies, and its mission is to foster an inclusive and supportive atmosphere within Ford for LGBT+ persons.

Ed Rogers, Ford Pride chair, is also the founder and Chair of Driving Pride Network, a cross-automotive steering group whose mission is to promote LGBTQ+ inclusivity and working to shift inclusion forward across the whole industry.??

He told @Ford: “We’re very happy to receive this Bronze Award from Stonewall. By becoming more inclusive and promoting the welfare of LGBTQ+ people, we can help them achieve their full potential in the workplace.”

Employers participating in Stonewall’s WEI must demonstrate their work in eight areas of employment policy and practice. Staff from across the organization complete an anonymous survey about their experiences of diversity and inclusion at work.

Organizations receive their scores, enabling them to understand what’s going well and where they need to focus their efforts. Organizations can also see how they’ve performed in comparison with their sector and region.

Across Europe, Ford is celebrating LGBT+ History Month this February to show support for the LGBT+ community and to help promote equality and diversity. Introduced in the UK in 2005, LGBT+ History Month plays an important role in increasing the visibility of LGBT+ people, their history, lives, and their experiences in the wider community.

In 2022, Ford intentionally took its LGBT+ message into the wider community through increasing awareness of the Very Gay Raptor and engaging actively in social media and YouTube with #ToughTalks.

"We’re very happy to receive this Bronze Award from Stonewall. By becoming more inclusive and promoting the welfare of LGBTQ+ people, we can help them achieve their full potential in the workplace."

Ed Rogers

Ford Pride chair