It’s easy to say that our personal lives shouldn’t affect our work. But in reality, it’s not that simple. Straight or gay, who you are and how you're able to interact with others has a direct relationship on your performance. An inclusive work environment where you can be open and honest about who you are, enables all of us to perform at our best. At PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), we are committed to creating the kind of environment where everyone can feel comfortable and confident being themselves.
Our commitment to diversity
Our gay and lesbian professionals are an important community within PwC. You may sometimes hear the question: “But what does a focus on sexual orientation have to do with business?” At PwC, we believe that feelings of belonging matter. That's why we focus on promoting an inclusive culture for everyone. We want to attract and retain the best talent from all sources. We also understand that when people are comfortable and fully engaged, the quality of their work increases. Our high-performance culture is built on a foundation of diversity and inclusion.
"To be a leader in diversity, you need to be able to talk about the sensitive subjects, you need to be able to have the difficult conversations...we need to create an environment where we remove some of the discomfort for our GLBT partners and staff. When we do what's difficult as a Firm, that's the real test of our commitment to everyone else."
—Chris Simmons, Washington Metro, Market Managing Partner
Our Leadership
Our Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) Partner Advisory Board, the first of its kind in any of the Big 4, is made up of 11 gay partners, a managing director, two senior managers and an administrative assistant from PwC offices around the country. The Board represents a diverse range of tenure, professional and life experiences, and advises Firm leadership on the planning and implementation of GLBT initiatives. The group, officially formed in January 2005, meets quarterly to review the Firm’s progress in this area. As owners, partners, managers of large teams, and gay employees of the Firm, these individuals bring a unique and unified voice to diversity planning and strategy.
Our Circles
Studies have shown that networking and access to mentors is integral to career success. Our 11 GLBT Networking Circles foster that sense of community and support. In addition, our circles provide valuable connections to peers and mentors who share similar experiences, challenges and discomfort.
Recognition for Our Efforts
- Out & Equal awarded PwC the Corporate Workplace Award for Significant Achievement in GLBT Workplace Initiatives (2006)
- Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index (CEI): received a 100% score (2007)
- DiversityInc. ranked PwC #11 on its 2007 list of the Top 50 Companies for Diversity
- In 2005, 2006 and 2007 PwC was ranked among Fortune magazine's list of the 100 Best Companies to Work for in America
