2026 Shortlisted nominee
Inclusive Culture Initiative
United Utilities (UU) is a FTSE100 employer providing essential water and wastewater services to eight million customers and 200,000 businesses across the North West, while building an inclusive, supportive and high performing workplace for its 7,500 skilled colleagues. In 2025, UU refreshed its Equity, Diversity and Inclusion strategy as ‘Opportunity for All’, a people centred approach that connects inclusion to everyday experiences, real language and the diverse realities of colleagues’ lives. By embedding belonging into leadership, governance, recruitment, development and community partnerships, plus helping to improve inclusion within its partner organisations and supply chain, UU has strengthened representation, improved retention and achieved exceptional engagement scores, with 95 percent of colleagues agreeing the company supports inclusion. Ranked fourth for the second consecutive year, on the Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers Index 2025/26 and recognised across multiple national awards, UU continues to proudly champion inclusive culture as a driver of innovation, regional prosperity and world class service for the communities it proudly serves.
