Making LGBTA inclusiveness
real every day

Ernst & Young is committed to providing a work environment that is, and feels, inclusive for all our people. Through People Resource Networks (PRNs), various affinity groups within our firm can network and exchange information as well as advise senior leadership about inclusiveness issues.

bEYond, a network for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their allies (LGBTA), was the first PRN established by the firm, and it worked to add the inclusion of “gender identity/expression” as a covered category within the firm’s antidiscrimination policy. Listen as several bEYond members discuss the value of being able to bring their whole selves to work.

View video.

An inclusive view

The value of working in an
open office

In a recent article in Forbes,Ernst & Young employees Chris Crespo and Bryan Parsons share their experiences in deciding to come out at the office and the support they’ve received at our firm. The article emphasizes the value of fostering an open and inclusive office environment and suggests ways for workers and businesses to find and create a comfortable workplace.

A leader in LGBT inclusiveness

An article featured in Fortune magazine on the progress being made by Corporate America on lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) inclusiveness included the efforts of Ernst & Young and the personal experiences of some of the members of bEYond, our network for LGBT people and their allies.

Report helps make LGBT inclusiveness real

"Making It Real" is a new report from Ernst & Young designed to help companies implement corporate policies that impact the everyday work experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) employees. The report is the result of a roundtable in which select global companies that scored 100% on the Human Rights Campaign's index of LGBT inclusiveness shared their best practices.

Support for LGBT people

Through bEYond, Ernst & Young's network for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people and their allies, our firm demonstrates its commitment to creating an inclusive work environment for everyone. Find out more about our efforts in raising awareness and promoting inclusiveness for LGBT people and the progress we've made. Read the bEYond brochure (pdf, 1,524K).

Recognition

Continuing to make strides in LGBT inclusiveness

Out & Equal Workplace Advocates has honored Ernst & Young with its 2007 award for Significant Achievement in recognition of our strides to advance a fair and equitable workplace for our lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people and their allies. The award recognizes our efforts to raise awareness of LGBT people and issues both internally and in the greater community through discussion of our workplace policies with other business leaders and by getting our people involved.

Diversity communications honors

Ernst & Young received honors in Diversity Communications from PR NEWS at its 2007 Corporate Responsibility Awards. The publication recognized our commitment to inclusiveness and support of LGBT people through education and awareness, policy change, recruiting and retention, as well as external thought leadership, including “Making It Real,” our report on corporate best practices in LGBT inclusiveness.

Proud of our accomplishments

We've worked hard to create a firm with the broadest possible pool of talent, experiences and perspectives — and it shows. Some recent awards recognizing our efforts to create an inclusive workplace are listed below, or you can check out a more complete list of awards.

• Named to the 2007 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for DiversityŽ list
• Diversity Elite 60
• INROADS National Sponsor Growth Awards
• First among Big Four to add LGBT to supplier diversity
• Disabilities Matters award

Community involvement

Building a successful network

Ernst & Young LGBTA Inclusiveness Strategy Leader Chris Crespo was the presenter at a recent Town Call hosted by Out & Equal, workplace advocates for LGBT people. Chris, a co-founder of our LGBTA employee resource group bEYond, shared tools and strategies for creating a successful network in a decentralized organization. bEYond currently includes more than 800 people from 60 locations in the US and Canada.

Houston office walks for
AIDS awareness

More than 80 people from Ernst & Young’s Houston office participated in 2007 AIDS Walk Houston, an annual citywide event sponsored by AIDS Foundation Houston. bEYond collaborated with other Ernst & Young groups to involve the entire office in supporting the event. As a result, the Ernst & Young team raised more than $20,000 to benefit the organization’s Camp Hope, a summer camp for HIV-positive children.

Ernst & Young supports the efforts of all our people to be honest about who they are — at work as well in their personal lives.