糖心探花

糖心探花 - Diversity initiatives

Diversity initiatives

Embracing a range of nationalities, cultures and perspectives

A brief snapshot of some of the initiatives that help 糖心探花stand out from the rest.


B United 鈥 our LGBT+ network


B United is a self-governed global community of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans (LGBT+) employees, and their allies, working across the 糖心探花world.

The community strives to develop and nurture an even more inclusive and welcoming culture for all LGBT+ employees. This means fostering an environment in which all employees are comfortable being themselves and can realise their full potential at work.

B United provides emotional support for its worldwide network by offering mentoring and support and providing a safe forum to share experiences. On a practical level the network provides advice to the business around international assignments, as well as offering help to line managers who may have queries around sensitive matters concerning LGBT+ employees.

You can read more about听B United听in our stories and features section,听as well as an听interview with one of听the community's members, Jay.听

Proud to B United

Proud to B United

Video could not be reproduced

Proud to B United

BAT鈥檚 LGBT+ employee network 鈥 B United 鈥 strives to develop and nurture an even more inclusive and welcoming culture for all LGBT+ employees.

糖心探花 - Women in 糖心探花(WiB) Network

Women in 糖心探花(WiB) is an employee-led network which champions diversity and gender equality for women, supporting them to reach their full potential and build A Better Tomorrow鈩. Established in 2017, WiB was created to provide a supportive community where women and allies can connect, share experiences, find mentorship opportunities and challenge the status quo to improve diversity and inclusion within the business. This has helped create a sense of belonging and empowerment for women within our organisation, leading to incremental changes within BAT.

Women in 糖心探花Logo

WiB members volunteer time and energy in numerous ways to support the WiB community, with particular focus on the following pillars: Networking & Professional Development, Awareness & Empowerment, Allyship, External Engagements and Global Women鈥檚 Network.

WiB continues to drive awareness and encourages active participation in fostering gender equality.听 Promoting a more inclusive workplace and culture will truly deliver on our 鈥淎 Better Tomorrow鈥 purpose.

Women in STEM


Our Women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) initiative uses external partnerships and internal learning and development platforms, aiming to attract, develop and retain more women across our Research & Development, Operations and Digital & Business Solutions听 functions.

In the UK, we have joined听, an organisation that enables people in business, industry and education to increase the participation, contribution and success of women in STEM roles by organising knowledge-sharing and networking events, training and webinars. We听are official signatories to its 10-step framework, which provides evidence-based action, knowledge, and tools for achieving gender balance in the STEM workforce.听These types of partnerships, which we are looking to implement in key hubs across the business, will also provide female employees with the opportunity to widen their network and interact with peers from other companies.

Read more about our听Women in STEM initiative.

Celebrating our female scientists


We marked International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2021 by celebrating the achievements of our female scientists and shining a spotlight on their world-class research. Our pioneering women were also showcased in a national Women in STEM campaign in 2020.

Our video below shines a light on some of our brilliant women scientists.

Celebrating our women in Science

Celebrating our women in Science

Video could not be reproduced

Celebrating our women in Science

A focus on some of the brilliant women who are helping to accelerate our A Better Tomorrow鈩 transformation.

Neurodiversity Employee Community

In 2024, we launched our Neurodiversity Employee Community to support neurodivergent employees, their carers, and allies. The group focuses on educating colleagues about neurodiversity, the challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals, and promoting acceptance (e.g. through movement breaks, breaking down stigma, and raising awareness of terminology and stereotypes). Collaborating with the Diversity & Inclusion team and our established Employee Resource Groups, the community has already grown to more than 100 active members. They held their first virtual event in 2024 with our Healthy Minds Champions on Neurodiversity and ADHD.听

In 2025, the focus is on raising awareness of the reasonable adjustments we offer, assisted technology, training, and recruitment practices.听

Parents@BAT

We are committed to supporting employees in balancing work and family life through the Parents@糖心探花programme. This initiative provides at least 16 weeks of fully paid parental leave for mothers and adoptive parents globally, including a return-to-work guarantee. The average duration of parental leave across our markets is 18 weeks. For secondary caregivers, we offer paternity leave averaging two weeks across the Group, with markets such as the U.S. offering 16 weeks, and Australia, Brazil, and Canada offering four to six weeks. Employees also have access to additional support during their leave, including an online advice service with coaching.

In 2024, 94% of women and 99% of men returned to work following parental leave. To support a smooth transition back to work, we offer flexible working opportunities that promote work-life integration and empower employees to balance personal and professional responsibilities. Additional family-friendly benefits are provided in some markets, including on-site lactation facilities and childcare vouchers.听

Many markets provide leave options such as carer鈥檚 leave and compassionate leave to support employees during significant life moments. Benefits are regularly updated to meet the diverse and evolving needs of employees, and comply with or exceed local requirements.

IGNITE returners programme


Our IGNITE returners programme focuses on supporting experienced professionals returning to the workplace after a career break. It includes flexible working, training and coaching for returners, and training for line managers.

Following a successful launch of our global IGNITE returners programme in nine markets (UK, Australia, Turkey, Trinidad & Tobago, Argentina, Colombia, Poland, Mexico, and Pakistan), we continue to recruit returners across the world.

Women in Leadership

Our Women in Leadership programme aims to empower women leaders at 糖心探花by providing them with strategies to achieve their career objectives within an inclusive environment.

The four-day programme covers a broad set of modules, including building leadership skills, enhancing impact, and building networks. Since its inception in 2013, 1,239 women have completed the programme. We aim to enhance its impact and expand it to include more women managers.听