LGBTQ+ inclusion

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We believe that everyone should be able to bring their whole selves to work, without fear of it impacting or limiting their opportunities and experiences. Our award winning Breathe network, which celebrate it’s 20 year anniversary in 2022, provides a community of allies that celebrate and promote LGBTQ+ initiatives. And we’re proud to support the wider LGBTQ+ community across the UK, by lending our support to a variety of universities and charities.

Commitments and recognition

We’ve committed to having 6% Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual firm-wide representation by 2030.

We’ve been recognised as a Stonewall Top 100 Employer since 2016 and in 2023 were placed 8^th in the list.

We’re in the British LGBT Awards Top 10 Inclusive Employers for 2021.

Where we are now

Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual colleagues firm-wide / 4% 1-Oct-22 spot count (FY21: 3%)

Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual colleagues at senior level* / 3% 1-Oct-22 spot count (FY21: 3%)

Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual graduates and apprentice joiners / 5% FY22 (FY21: 4%)

Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual new experienced hires / 3% FY22 (FY21: 3%)

These figures are based on those that have declared this information to us (83% of employees).

*Senior colleagues are defined as Exco, Board, Partners and Directors.

Find out more about representation across our firm here. You can also find out about our 2022 Pay Gaps and how we’re addressing them here.

Our LGBTQ+ action plan

Leadership and culture We have been named in the Stonewall Top 100 Employers since 2016 and were recognised in the British LGBT Awards Top 10 Inclusive Employers in 2021. We were proud to lead by example by voluntarily publishing our Sexual Orientation Pay Gap in 2020, ahead of there being a legal requirement to do so.

In 2022, our award-winning LGBTQ+ network – Breathe - celebrated their 20th anniversary, having spent the last two decades making a lasting impact on LGBTQI+ inclusion both inside and outside our firm. Breathe are longstanding supporters of the charity Terrence Higgins Trust and recently partnered with Network Rail to raise £40,000 to mark it’s 40 year anniversary.

Fairness in our systems and processes We’ve put processes in place to support colleagues who wish to change their name, gender marker and/or title on KPMG systems. We have also provided more guidance for colleagues on adding their pronouns to email signatures and on Teams.

Our collective voice We join forces with LGBTQ+ networks in other organisations, to strengthen our work in this area. We also team up with leading LGBTQ+ charities, and engage in thought leadership, to help improve the workplace for everyone and the experience for LGBTQ+ people throughout the UK and beyond.

In the last few years, our LGBTQ+ network Breathe have created a transport-focused LGBTQ+ network with more than 50 organisations which has started a movement to implement change in this sector. In addition to this, Breathe have made a public commitment to mentor 50 LGBTQI+ refugees over three years in partnership with refugee charity, Tent.

Talent From a recruitment perspective, we run dedicated events for LGBTQ+ students on university campuses and at our offices. We are the co-founders of AuthentiCity, an annual recruitment event for LGBTQ+ students looking to explore career opportunities in Professional Services, Finance, Fund Management or Technology, in the City. Students are offered the opportunity to meet representatives from a number of firms, including ours, to gain a valuable insight into their work and their experiences of being LGBTQ+ in the workplace.

Our award-winning Breathe Employee Network exists to celebrate and promote LGBTQ+ awareness and to provide opportunities for colleagues to share experiences, gain guidance on professional development and to engage non-LGBTQ+ colleagues. The network also engages our clients in raising LGBTQ+ awareness.

Promoting trans inclusion is also an important area of focus for us. We’ve updated our policy documents firm-wide to ensure that the language used is gender neutral. We’ve also updated our diversity monitoring questionnaire to include questions that enable our colleagues to disclose their trans status if they wish, and to help us better understand the diversity make-up of our firm. This year we refreshed our trans policy and guidance documents to provide greater support to trans colleagues.

Keeping LGBTQ+ inclusion on track

Our LGBTQ+ Employee Network, Breathe, aims to create and drive a positive and inclusive environment to support our LGBTQ+ colleagues at KPMG UK, but also foster inclusion in the wider marketplace and community too.

We’ve recently teamed up the Department for Transport and Network Rail to work on joint initiatives that are aimed at improving the experiences of the LGBTQ+ community throughout the UK.

In October 2021, colleagues came together to share their views on how we can champion LGBTQ+ inclusion at work and more specifically on public transport. And to mark World Aids Day in December, which aims to raise awareness and show solidarity for those living with HIV, we raised money for the Terrence Higgins Trust by holding collections at train stations across the country.

“Large firms like KPMG have an important role to play in driving change in wider society and can make a big impact. I’m really proud of the work that we have done and continue to do with other companies in this space. By coming together with other organisations across sectors, we’re more likely to achieve our ambitions around inclusivity and equality.” says Mariana, Co-Chair of our Breathe Employee Network.

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