Aldi to roll out vital allyship training to all UK managers

Aldi has announced plans to roll out allyship training for all of its managers in the UK.

The German-owned discount supermarket chain, which has more than 990 shops in the UK and a nationwide workforce of almost 40,000 people, will provide diversity and inclusion training as part of efforts to create a more inclusive workplace in its shops, warehouses and offices.

The training, which forms part of Aldi’s ‘Embrace’ Diversity and Inclusion strategy, is designed to “empower and encourage managers to better support, collaborate with and advocate for colleagues from minority groups”, according to the company.

As well as raising awareness of allyship and its benefits in the workplace, the training will help managers learn inclusive behaviours and how to challenge others in a constructive manner.

The scheme follows Aldi’s launch of an internal allyship guide earlier this year, which offers staff information on how to better support those from different religious, racial or ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ people and those living with a disability.

Richard Shuttleworth, Diversity and Inclusion Director at Aldi UK, said in a statement: “We’re always looking for ways to better support our colleagues, and providing training for our managers is a significant step we can take to assist them and their teams in becoming allies. 

“Fostering a positive work environment for all our colleagues is about everyday actions, and implementing this training is just another of the many ways we are committed to helping achieve that.”

Aldi’s commitment to better diversity and inclusion training for staff comes after a recent survey revealed that one in four young LGBTQ+ people between the ages of 18 and 25 will hide their sexuality in the workplace due to concerns over how they might be perceived by colleagues.

The research, conducted by LGBTQ+ charity Just Like Us, found that gay men were the most likely to not feel safe at work, with 31 per cent saying they were not open about their sexuality in the workplace.

Meanwhile, PinkNews is set to host virtual Trans+ Summit on Thursday, 11 May to give businesses, not-for-profits, charities, and HR professionals the opportunity to improve their knowledge of the trans and non-binary community.

The summit, which is the first event series of its kind in the UK, will also provide attendees with with a foundation-level understanding of what actions are required to successfully support trans and non-binary people in the workplace.