Still in its earliest stages, the program will see organisations rated on their GLBT policies and practices, and will likely offer assistance for those whose standards do not come up to scratch.

“Both the US and UK are more advanced in this area,” National GLBT Health Alliance spokesperson David Scamell told MCV.

“So the DCA and the Alliance have formed a partnership and are looking at how we can deliver a program. It’s going to have two focuses: the Index as the major part, which is about assessing employers and naming the good ones; and the other component to it is what the UK does with its Diversity Champions scheme, and that is in-house training for those people who are part of the program to assist them in lifting their game.”

In the UK, employers are ranked from number one down, while the US gives a score out of 100. Exactly which model will be used for Australia is still to be decided.

Nareen Young, CEO of the DCA – a not-for-profit diversity advisor to businesses in Australia, with 120 members nationally – said she was confident of employers signing up to the program.

“They will want to be accredited rather than not to be seen as being good places to work,” Young said.

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