Tyneside bakery chain Greggs has won an award that recognises its work in diversity and inclusion.
The firm has been awarded the National Equality Standard, which has become the accepted standard for inclusivity in UK business. It is supported by the Home Office and the CBI.
Achieving the accreditation formed a key part of Greggs’ commitment to embracing diversity, one of the company’s 10 pledges to make help make the world a better place by 2025. Greggs said that the award was “an important step in Greggs’ journey to continuously improve in this area, enhance D&I across the business and ensure its colleagues increasingly reflect the communities the company serves”.
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The company achieved the accreditation after establishing a D&I steering group from across different areas of the business, developing and enhancing D&I training for all levels in the business and commissioning third party research into the barriers faced by potential job applicants from ethnic minorities. The company scored above the average for businesses in the retail industry.
Roisin Currie, CEO of Greggs, said: “I am extremely proud of our collective efforts from colleagues across the whole business to achieve this fantastic recognition.
“However, the work does not stop here, whilst the accreditation is a significant milestone for us we need to keep this momentum and continue to work hard together to embrace diversity and inclusion across all areas of our business.”
Simon Feeke, EY director and lead National Equality Standard assessor, said: “Greggs have demonstrated tremendous progress in embedding D&I throughout their business and HR processes with mechanisms for continuous review and measurement of progress. We were particularly impressed by their strong culture of learning and development, proactive approach to accessibility focus and the newly formed colleague network groups. Congratulations to Greggs and to all those who were involved throughout the process.”
The Greggs Pledge was first launched last year, setting out 10 commitments to reduce the company’s environmental impact, help the communities in which it operates and protect animal welfare. The Pledge was refreshed in April after the company exceeded some targets, including setting up almost 700 breakfast clubs in schools around the UK.
