Member Article

North East university is top 50 equal opps employer

A North East university has been named one of the top 50 employers in the UK for equal opportunities.

Recognition for Sunderland University in The Where Women Want to Work Top 50 - run by The Times newspaper - comes just a month after the university was named one of the best companies in the UK for addressing gender issues and pay inequality for women by national campaign group Opportunity Now.

The top 50 list, which is published in The Times today examined all UK organisations with over 1,000 employees. The study assessed their equal opportunities record based on ten criteria, including inspirational leadership, training, work-life balance, employee satisfaction and external reputation.

Sunderland is also one of 80 institutions highlighted as Exemplar Employers by Opportunity Now for its innovative work in addressing gender, equal pay and opportunities for women. The initiative, launched by Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly, showcases employers who are encouraging women to return to work by offering flexible career paths and work options, including quality part-time work.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Peter Fidler, said: “The University of Sunderland has made significant progress in reducing the gender pay gap in recent years. We are a high quality university which offers life-changing opportunities for students and staff and we strongly support our local community. This recognition will help us to communicate our gender equality principles to a wider audience and continue to maximise the potential of our diverse workforce.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .