For an unprecedented second year in a row, West Midlands Fire Service (WMFS) has been named as the UK’s Most Inclusive Employer.
The accolade was announced last night (Tuesday 5 December) at an awards event in London.
Now in its eighth year, The Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List shines a light on best practice across all strands of diversity including age, disability, gender, LGBT+, race, faith and religion.
In 2022, WMFS jumped to the No 1 spot after being placed ninth in 2021.
Entries were assessed by an independent panel of judges from diverse cultural and business backgrounds.
They looked beyond policies and practices to identify individuals and organisations who could demonstrate they have achieved true diversity, inclusion, equality and equity in their workplace or community.
Wayne Brown, our Chief Fire Officer, said: “This is a phenomenal achievement. Recognition like this does not happen by accident. It reflects the fantastic work of everyone in West Midlands Fire Service and Staffordshire and West Midlands Fire Control.
“To be named No 1 for a second year is a clear validation of how we are working to harness the power of diversity within our workforce, to provide the very best service to the diverse communities of the West Midlands.
“The journey to being a truly inclusive organisation is long. It requires constant innovation and honest reflection to drive improvement. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion is firmly embedded in our cultural DNA.”
This year, WMFS has increased its family leave provision to 12 months full pay for maternity and adoption leave. The service is focused on removing the pay gap across all demographics, and is extremely proud to be a real living wage employer.
You can see our ranking on the Inclusive Companies website.