“I am delighted to be part of a 12-strong team from Pinsent Masons, who along with our families, will be joining the Grampian Pride march along Union Street.
Supporting diversity and inclusion across our international office network has long been a major focus at our firm and we were in fact the first legal sector business to engage with LGBT charity Stonewall and to support their annual review of inclusivity in the workplace.
Earlier this year, we were delighted to be ranked as the UK’s most LGBT-inclusive employer in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index but of course we recognise that much work remains to be done in this area.
The efforts of the organisers and volunteers behind Grampian Pride should be applauded and I hope this year’s march and supporting activities build on the strong foundation laid down by the inaugural 2018 event.
I work closely with employers in the oil and gas sector and my experience is that more and more firms are recognising the need to actively support diversity in their businesses and to enable people to feel comfortable that they can bring their whole selves to work. There has been a noticeable and welcome push by energy sector companies to embrace diversity and inclusion initiatives but we can always do more.
As the sector works towards energy transition – meeting UK oil and gas demands through domestic production while supporting low carbon initiatives – it is only right that we seek to attract a wider range of people into the energy sector by encouraging and supporting greater diversity.
Events like Grampian Pride are important in raising awareness that business can and must do better in promoting diversity and by taking part on Saturday we hope our participation confirms Pinsent Masons ongoing support for greater inclusivity.
After the weekend’s celebrations, we are happy to sponsor the next We Mean Business event hosted by Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce at the Aberdeen Altens Hotel on Thursday (May 30). The event, Gender Expression in the Workplace, will hear from two speakers, Rikki Arundel and Charlie Craig, on gender difference and tackling transphobia, and will discuss how organisations can successfully embrace change.
Claire Scott