The LGBTQ+ in the Workplace Conference 2026
Previous Supporters Include
Overview
Despite growing legal protections and workplace inclusion initiatives, 85% of LGBTQ+ employees report experiencing significant career barriers linked to their identity (Pride in Leadership Report, 2025). As Equality Action Plans become expected from April 2026 and mandatory from 2027 for employers with 250+ staff (Fawcett Society, 2026), organisations must move beyond tokenistic approaches to dedicated inclusion to ensure adherence with the Equality Act 2010.
With 40% of LGBTQ+ employees still hiding their identity at work, over 70% of individuals lacking LGBTQ+ role models and 42% feeling unsupported by HR with LGBTQ+ issues (Pride in Leadership Report, 2025), it is a crucial time for organisations to reframe inclusion policies to reflect LGBTQ+ staff needs, otherwise risking exclusionary workplace cultures, exposure to legal and reputational risks and limited access to LGBTQ+ talent, skills, and leadership potential that strengthens organisational performance.
The LGBTQ+ Inclusion in the Workplace Conference 2026 offers a senior-level exploration of LGBTQ+ inclusion, combining lived experience with organisational strategy and delivery to help employers move beyond awareness to develop actionable approaches grounded in the realities of LGBTQ+ employees. It examines key career barriers including limited LGBTQ+ role-model representation, failures in policy implementation, and inconsistent senior-level support, providing practical strategies to deliver measurable and sustained workplace inclusion.
Agenda
Online Registration
Chair’s Opening Remarks
Luke Fletcher, Professor of Psychology and Human Resource Management, Manchester Metropolitan University (CONFIRMED)
Keynote: LGBTQ+ Policy Updates and Progress: Ensuring Compliance with Employment Law
- Reviewing recent and upcoming development in LGBTQ+ policy and employment law to strengthen organisational compliance awareness and reduce legal and reputational risk
- Practical guidance on updating workplace policies in line with changing employment law to create safe and inclusive workplaces
- Ensuring Equality Act compliance is embedded across recruitment, hiring, people management, and internal policy implementation to strengthen organisational inclusion practices
- Assessing the implications of recent UK Supreme Court developments for LGBTQ+ workplace rights
Olivia Bailey MP, Minister for Early Education and Equalities, MP for Reading West and Mid Berkshire, House of Commons (invited)
Keynote: Beyond Performative and Tokenistic Policy: Operationalising LGBTQ+ Inclusion
- Critically assess workplace inclusion policies to identify gaps in accountability, implementation and areas where inclusive practice can fail
- Embedding LGBTQ+ lived experience into workplace policy to ensure inclusion approaches meaningfully address issues such as travel concerns, bullying and harassment, health and wellbeing, and parental leave
- Gain practical insights into measuring the impact of LGBTQ+ inclusion initiatives and identifying where further action is needed
- Examine how inclusion approaches focused on LGBTQ+ needs can strengthen trust, recruitment, retention, and organisational culture
Simon Blake OBE, Chief Executive Officer, Stonewall (CONFIRMED)
Keynote: The Power of Representation: Senior Leader Role Models to Strengthen and Support LGBTQ+ Employees
- Demonstrating the importance of visible LGBTQ+ leadership representation and role models in strengthening confidence, belonging, and inclusion amongst LGBTQ+ staff
- Exploring how role models can positively influence career progression, leadership accessibility, and workplace culture to ensure LGBTQ+ staff have accessible career progression journeys
- Sharing practical approaches to developing visible LGBTQ+ role model networks and leadership pathways within organisations
- Identifying barriers that limit LGBTQ+ representation at senior levels and how organisations can create greater opportunities for progression and visibility in leadership roles
Baroness Elizabeth Barker, Liberal Democrat Life Peer, House of Lords (invited)
Case Study: Making Progression Achievable: Rethinking Career Systems for LGBTQ+ Inclusion
- Understanding the structural and personal barriers that can affect LGBTQ+ career progression and leadership accessibility
- Exploring how sponsorship and mentorship can strengthen career progression pathways for LGBTQ+ employees
- Identifying practical approaches to creating fairer and more inclusive career pathways that support long-term LGBTQ+ career growth
- Assessing where progression gaps exist within organisations and how these can impact leadership representation, retention and employee confidence
Priscilla Baffour, Global Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Strategy Director, Unilever (invited)
Questions and Answers
Breakout Networking: Tackling the Gaps Between Policy and Lived Experience
Network with industry peers, discuss the main challenges you face to promote inclusivity for LGBTQ+ staff in your workplace, and share your inclusive policies, strategies and inclusive missions.
Comfort Break
Keynote: Inclusive Leaders in Practice: Turning Inclusivity into Everyday Management
- Examining inclusive leadership in everyday management to ensure managers create psychologically safe and inclusive teams
- Understanding the realities of LGBTQ+ lived experiences across different identities to ensure workplace support is targeted, informed, and responsive rather than generalised approaches
- Exploring how managers can respond effectively to bullying, discrimination, and inappropriate workplace behaviour to strengthen trust and accountability within teams
- Develop a deepened understanding of how leadership behaviour shapes organisational culture, including support, allyship, and mental wellbeing in the workplace through targeted support that reflects an employees’ specific needs or experiences
Laura Wilkinson, Managing Director, LGBT Foundation (CONFIRMED)
Case Study: Creating Safer and More Inclusive Workplaces: Building Networks and Work Cultures for LGBTQ+ Employees
- Exploring the importance of LGBTQ+ networks in the workplace for building confidence, communities and visibility in organisations, strengthening retention and employee resilience
- Identifying how to strengthen or build LGBTQ+ staff networks providing staff with an inclusive and supportive working environment
- Practical insights into how organisations can support employees at different stages of identity visibility
- Providing LGBTQ+ staff with access to networks, allies, and communities that support sharing lived experience, knowledge, and mentorship, and help address harassment and discrimination both inside and outside the workplace
Laura McLean, Strategic Talent Manager, Santander (invited)
Case Study: Intersectionality in Practice: Navigating Identity Complexity in the Workplace
- Examining how overlapping identities shape unequal access to progression and leadership opportunities
- Identifying where standardised ‘one-size-fits-all’ inclusion strategies fail to reflect the realities of intersecting identities in career progression pathways
- Moving beyond awareness of intersectionality to embedding it into decision-making across HR, leadership and workplace cultures
- Developing inclusive policies using an intersectional lens to provide actionable insights to strengthen inclusivity approaches that lead to more targeted, effective, and equitable workplace outcomes
Mary Harpley, Chief Officer, London Assembly, Mayor of London (invited)
Questions and Answers
Chair’s Closing Remarks
Luke Fletcher, Professor of Psychology and Human Resource Management, Manchester Metropolitan University (CONFIRMED)
Conference Close
Get in Touch
Previous Speakers
Dr Rosa Marvell
Senior Lecturer in Sociology
University of Portsmouth
Sarah Campbell
Head of Empowerment
Stonewall
Quinn Roache
Policy Officer: Disability and LGBT+ Equality
Trades Union Congress
Damon Young
British Council Equality Diversity and Inclusion Research
University and College Union (UCU)
Aasha Tikoo
Director of Strategic Partnerships
myGwork
PK Kulasegram
Director
Simply Equality
Julia Georgiou
General Secretary
NHBC
Tim Barnden
Immigration Partner and LGTBT+ Ambassador
Bates Wells
Testimonials
A big take away from the day was the discussion on pronouns, which I, previously, did not engage with. I thought I was inclusive until the speaker said (about using pronouns) that, at the very least, it shows that you ‘get it’ if you use them and it gives colleagues more trust and confidence in you. My mind is changed!
A really informative event which gave me lots of energy, and more importantly, confidence, to move forward with LGBTQ+ inclusion work in my own role.
An excellent opportunity to find ways to build on existing good practice within any organisation.
Great selection of speakers, who have lived experiences to really bring the topic to life and give impact. Very thought provoking.
The event was really well organised with plenty of pre-event communication and reminders. Everything was well explained on how to navigate your way around the platform.
Why You Should Attend
✓ Hear from industry leaders moving beyond performative inclusion approaches and creating policies grounded in lived experience
✓ Take away tangible learnings around how inclusive leadership, visible role models, and psychologically safe workplace cultures strengthen retention, engagement, and employee wellbeing
✓ Networking opportunities with senior leaders from across the public, private and voluntary sectors to strengthen LGBTQ+ inclusion approaches across sectors
✓ 8 hours of CPD points towards your yearly quota
Who Should Attend
| Job Title Examples | Organisation Examples |
| EDI Managers | Universities |
| HR Officers | Trade Unions |
| Head of People and Culture | NHS/Healthcare |
| Chief of Staff | Civil Service |
| Recruitment Managers | Local Government |
| Wellbeing & Belonging Leads | Charities |
Pricing Options
PRIVATE SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Point
PUBLIC SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
VOLUNTARY SECTOR
Your delegate place at this leading conference gives you: Full access to the conference; E-guide; Networking opportunities during the day; Access to presentations post conference; 8 CPD Points.
Sponsorship
Raise Your Profile, Showcase Your Solutions, Generate New Business
If your products, services, and solutions can support our audiences in their roles, and you want to make connections and generate new business with key stakeholders, decision makers, and influencers, then please contact us HERE
IMPORTANT: There are only a small number of sponsorship opportunities available to ensure maximum exposure and ROI – contact us today to secure your place.
Virtual vs F2F
Whilst F2F provide better options for networking, there are many distinct advantages of sponsoring our online conferences including:
- Wider geographical reach of delegates and a different audience who prefer online to f2f
- Lower sponsorship package costs
- No travel/accommodation
- Less time out of the office
- No stand materials required (lower costs)
- 1 of only 2 sponsors involved – less competition on the day
- Prime speaking slot in the morning of the conference including Q&A – less distractions and easier for delegates to hear/absorb information
- Receive all delegate data after the conference to follow-up directly with those who attend and don’t attend (small % but still key stakeholders)
- Ongoing exposure via OnDemand access
To find out more and discuss your specific objectives, please contact us below:
