Equality, diversity & inclusion
At GCHQ we're confident we can succeed because with the right mix of minds anything is possible
Our mission to help protect the UK will only be successful if we have the right mix of minds to tackle some of the biggest national security issues facing us today.
To meet the challenges of our ever more complex world and protect our people and way of life, liberal and inclusive values must be the heart of our mission. We need more diversity, more uniqueness and individuality and we’ll need to find new ways to blend it.
We are renowned for championing diversity of thought and we are all working together to further enhance our inclusive workplace culture to ensure everyone can thrive.
As well as meeting equality, diversity and inclusion requirements set out in law and best-practice guidance, we're actively seeking to go further by developing policies and processes that put people at the heart of our mission.
We're continually trying new initiatives in our recruitment and talent management to ensure we get the best mix of people into and throughout our organisation and our sites.
Creating an inclusive workplace
We are proud of what we have achieved so far, but we know we still have a way to go. We are committed to creating a truly equal and inclusive workplace that values ability and aptitude.
We want to build a GCHQ where everyone, whatever their start in life, can join and thrive. In 2021, we achieved a ranking of 65 in the Social Mobility Foundation’s Employer Index. The Employer Index scores and ranks organisations on the actions they are taking to ensure they are open for talent to access them and progress within those organisations.
Recently we set out our vision for racial equality in GCHQ to better represent the society we serve. Amongst other things, we will look to better attract ethnic minority talent from across the country and ensure the working environment at GCHQ enables our ethnic minority colleagues to flourish. We’ve also signed the BITC Race at Work Charter to ensure our ethnic minority colleagues are represented at all levels across GCHQ.
We’re working to improve gender equality in GCHQ by attracting, rewarding and retaining more women, because diverse teams think and innovate differently.
We are proud of the arrangements we have implemented to support part-time and flexible working as well as supporting our colleagues to take up shared parental leave. These are particularly beneficial for parents and people with caring responsibilities but are also designed to help everyone working here strike the right work-life balance.
We’ve reflected on our journey so far in becoming an LGBT+ inclusive employer. Our excellent work to improve the workplace culture for our LGBT+ colleagues has been widely recognised, including by Stonewall and also by Pink News. We've developed profoundly supportive policies for people of all sexual orientations, and introduced best practice support for our trans and non-binary colleagues.
As Disability Confident Leaders we have a great workplace adjustment process for people with disabilities, health conditions and neurodiversities. This includes our award-winning dyslexia and dyspraxia toolkits which ensure there are no barriers to working at GCHQ. We have a team of Mental Health First Aiders and have also signed up to the 'Time to Change' pledge to tackle the stigma around discussing Mental Health in the workplace.
Employee Networks
At GCHQ we have a wide range of support networks and support groups for our workforce. These groups provide guidance and support to individuals, managers and leadership on how to create an even more inclusive working environment and develop policies which put people first.
These networks offer advice, support and social events for their communities and allies as well as hosting educational events for colleagues, raising money for local charities, and doing outreach work to inspire the next generation.
Our main support networks include:
- DEN - our Disabled Employee Network for members of our workforce who are disabled, have conditions, or cognitive processing differences;
- GWN – The GCHQ Women's Network;
- BELIEF - our Faith and Belief Network;
- PRIDE - our network for the LGBT+ community and those with LGBT+ co-workers, friends and family;
- REACH - our network for people from any background, focusing on Race, Ethnicity and Cultural Heritage;
- RANGE – our age equality network.
We also have an ever-growing range of smaller sub-networks dedicated to tackling specific issues and supporting certain groups. These include Women in Tech, Maternity/Paternity/Shared Parental leave, the Menopause Support Group, a Carers Network, the Cancer Support Group, a Mental Health Support Group, and a group for people with Asperger's, Autism, Dyslexia and Dyspraxia.
The great work our networks do to support, educate and inspire everyone at GCHQ is invaluable in helping us harness the extraordinary talents of our workforce.