Shine
Shine
Shine is the network within PwC for LGBTQIA+ colleagues and anyone - colleagues, clients, and contacts - who wishes to contribute to fostering an inclusive work environment. Shine focuses on supporting a culture that values diversity and respects different sexual orientations and gender identities.
The network supports PwC’s inclusivity strategy by promoting awareness, facilitating dialogue, and organising activities. Shine aims to contribute to a workplace where employees can be themselves, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Why is Shine so important?
At PwC, we believe that people can only truly thrive when they can be themselves. Shine helps make this possible by:
Providing visibility and support to LGBTQIA+ colleagues.
Raising awareness about the importance of a diverse and safe workplace culture.
Supporting young talent, so that no one feels compelled to go back into the closet at the start of their career.
At PwC, that is absolutely not necessary, and we stand by that. Shine shows that you are not alone. Colleagues feel supported by the presence of the network and experience the freedom to be themselves.
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15th anniversary of Shine
This year we celebrated our 15th anniversary of Shine. A Generation of Shine: solving together, inspiring each other. In this year we looked at all the things we have achieved as a group, but our main topic is how to stay relevant for the next generation and their needs to feel included and rewarded. In this video board member Janet Visbeen and Robert Loesberg (one of the founders of Shine) talk about their pride in what Shine has achieved over 15 years.
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Co-founder of our Shine network Robert Loesberg
Co-founder of our Shine network Robert Loesberg is generally out and proud, but he still had to deal with struggles in his career. This personal story was filmed for of Inclusion & Diversity Day 2023.
What does Shine do?
Shine organises activities around three pillars:
Strategy and support – Commitment from leadership and support for everyone from day one.
Policy/Process – Ensuring equal opportunities and conditions for everyone and making this measurable.
Culture & behaviour – From joint internal and external workshops/events to collaboration with other networks.
A yearly highlight is our participation in the Canal Parade with the PwC boat: a powerful showcase of our diversity message. Additionally, we sponsor external initiatives such as the Roze Filmdagen, through which we also communicate our inclusive values beyond PwC.
What does PwC do for LGBTIQ+ colleagues?
PwC ensures a safe and equal work environment.
Key initiatives:
- Equal working conditions for LGBTIQ+ (transition leave, rainbow families).
- Pronouns in email signature
- Periodic consultations with the board of management
- Employee satisfaction survey option indicate sexual orientation
- Awareness. Internal focus on topics such as intersectionality, gender expression/identity, LGBTIQ+elearn
- External coaching coming out
- Boat during Pride Amsterdam
Workplace Pride LGBTQ+ Advocate Award 2025
PwC once again receives this award with a score of 96.1% as one of the top scorers in the LGBTIQ+ Global Benchmark index, which is held annually by Workplace Pride (WPP).
We are proud that this year as well we have attained the predicate of Advocate. PwC has participated in the annual Global Benchmark for a few years now and we use it as a means to monitor our strategy.
Our employment conditions for multi-parent (rainbow) families and transitional leave
Unfortunately, with various family forms, the actual situation is not (or only after a long time) the same as the legal situation. This mainly concerns rainbow families, but also other families (e.g. adoption after surrogacy).
As a result, parents who actually have the care for a child,but are not/not yet the official legal parent, are not eligible for provisions such as partner leave, parental leave, care leave, calamity leave, etc., at times when they are needed.PwC has done something about that. Following in the footsteps of only a few other companies, we give those who officially are not entitled to maternity leave because of their family structure, that same leave as yet. In addition, in collaboration with Transgender Netwerk Nederland, we have included a transition leave scheme as of 2021. And with that we remove it from sick leave.
In this article in the Winq magazine you can read more about terms of employment.
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