Local fuel company Z has been awarded the Rainbow Tick, an accreditation designed to help an organisation ensure it is a safe and welcoming workplace for all employees, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Z chief executive Mike Bennetts says it is important to Z to stand for what's important and to continually look for ways to improve.

'While the areas of gender balance, ethnicity and ability have been the focus of most diversity and inclusion programmes at Z, the Rainbow Tick addresses sexual orientation and gender diversity.

'In achieving the Rainbow Tick, Z will be publicly recognised as a place where a person's sexual orientation is embraced by the business as a part of who someone is.

'Creating a workplace where people are free to be their authentic selves is not just the right thing to do, but it is also acknowledged to be a central factor in attracting and retaining the best talent,” says Mike.

Internal communications manager Jeremy Clarke spearheaded Z's journey to accreditation.

Jeremy, who self-identifies as LGBTI+, says coming out in a work environment can be a daunting prospect with the uncertainty of what reaction might be received.

'The Rainbow Tick is a visible demonstration that for accredited organisations like Z, being open as LGBTI+ is welcomed.

'It is about being able to be your true self at work. We know that we can be who we really are, we can be more settled, be more comfortable in our surroundings and attain greater satisfaction in our work.

'Ultimately it helps us become more successful in what we set out to achieve,” says Jeremy.

Rainbow Tick accreditation is merely the beginning, it is a continuous improvement process that we will be undertaking to seize identified opportunities for improvement while being able to reflect on what we already do well, says Jeremy.

Rainbow Tick programme director Michael Stevens is pleased to add Z to a growing list of 34 New Zealand companies with Rainbow Tick accreditation.

'We were struck with the sincerity of the approach Z took to the process of getting Rainbow Tick certified, and the time taken to get there is a mark of the work that was done; they were very clear throughout that they did not want this to be just a tokenistic box-ticking exercise.

'Having very clear support and leadership for the programme from the top of the company is instrumental in its success and this was clearly demonstrated to us. They are off to an excellent start,” says Michael.

Z is the first fuel company in New Zealand to achieve this accreditation and only the third within the broader energy sector (after Vector and Flick Electric).

More information on the Rainbow Tick can be found here: http://www.rainbowtick.co.nz/about/