Last update: 03/07/2023

Santander’s LGBTI+ network, Embrace, has over 5,000 members across several countries, including LGBTI+ employees and allies. Our priorities to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) include growing the Embrace network, raising awareness and communicating in an inclusive way. 

Being able to show the real you should be a given. It should be an absolute reality in the world. However, there’s still a long way to go on the diversity, equity and inclusion road.  With the unwavering commitment of every person and organization we can make society more diverse and inclusive. For years, our Embrace Network has been striving to achieve exactly that. 

Santander’s LGBTI+ network started in the UK in 2015 is now in other Santander markets, like the US, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, and Portugal, as well as at our corporate centre, the Santander Group City. We also run LGBTI+ (which stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and all other groups who do not identify by one of those letters) initiatives in other locations.

To achieve a diverse and inclusive work environment, we run initiatives to:  

• increase visibility: rejecting stereotypes and social stigma, with support from leaders in the organization;
• promote inclusion: turning the workplace into a space of tolerance and respect where professional and personal differences enrich teams; and
• strengthen development: adopting best practices that will led to new social initiatives. 

The values set out in Santander’s General code of conduct include equal opportunity, diversity and non-discrimination, no workplace or sexual harassment, respect for people and collective rights, and work-life balance.

Because each person is unique, diversity is part of our strategy to remain one of the best places to work. In the UK, on top of joining the annual LGBTI+ pride celebration, we increased our Evolving Minds LGBTI+ library, which includes “Stories of pride” from Santander employees, as well as a schedule of LGBTI+ events and alphabet that helps us understand what each letter means. We also take part in Tent and Stonewall’s mentorship programme for LGBTI+ refugees, to support more than 50 people by 2024.

In Spain, we conducted an anonymous survey to learn about LGBTI+ employees’ needs and expectations. We used the findings to implement actions to raise awareness and communicate in an inclusive way, as well as to draw up an LGBTI+ protocol.

At Santander, we base everything we do on equal opportunity and non-discrimination. We will continue to create a diverse workplace that brings together employees that represent every facet of the diverse society we live in.