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modellingspecialty serviceschina overseas investment networkclimate change and sustainability servicesfamily business servicesfrench business networkglobal business networkjapan business servicespensionsrussia and cis business services careersstudentsthe ey differenceyour role hereyour developmentlife at eyjoining eyexperiencedadvisoryassurancetaxtransactionsindustriessupport servicesthe ey differenceyour developmentlife at eyjoining ey alumni home national equality standardnational equality standard contentsoverviewfounding membersthe seven standardsthe assessment journeyfinal assessment reportnes eventsmedia coveragecontact us share the national equality standard is a ground breaking initiative developed for business by business which sets clear equality diversity and inclusion edi criteria against which companies will be assessed.until now there has been no industry recognised national standard for edi in the uk leading to a lack of clarity and inconsistency in the approach from industry . the national equality standard nes is a business led initiative designed to address this gap . the nes has been developed by ey in partnership with bhp billitonbright ideas trustciscoedf energygreen parklawn tennis associationmicrosoft uknational gridnestl pearn kandola pearson roastvodafonewppit is supported by the home office and the confederation of british industry cbi . the equality and human rights commission ehrc was involved in its development and launch.the collective ambition is that the nes will become the accepted standard for business across the uk and that we will make a significant and lasting impact on the way equality diversity and inclusion is integrated into everyday business.a nes assessment will provide companies with a comprehensive and quality review of their edi policies and practices identify areas for improvement and provide implementation recommendations . the objectives of the nes are to provide an assessment tool which enables businesses to undertake a comprehensive assessment specifically focused on ediconsists of best practice standards that can be applied to any business sector or sizeprovides a single reference point incorporating all elements of the equality act 2010aims to significantly impact upon the way edi are integrated into everyday business activity across the countryprovides a pragmatic solution which helps organisations reach their aspirations in relation to ediencourages continuous improvement which rewards ambitionsupports the private sector by providing one recognisable holistic framework for industry good practiceenables companies to showcase their businesses as leaders in this fieldbridges the gap between legal requirements and best practice.a fast moving globalised labour market means an even more diverse workforce which needs to be included in order to thrive and empower business . we believe the national equality standard will make a significant contribution to reducing inequality and in turn making the uk s economy more competitive . ey is currently hosting the national equality standard website and is working closely with our partner microsoft to develop an interactive nes portal . connect with us contact us closing the gender pay gap ey and the nes hosted 70 industry leaders to discuss closing the gender pay gap find out more read our press releases 19 12 2014 cable welcomes plans to increase ethnic diversity on ftse 100 boards 08 09 2014 linklaters first organisation to be certified against the uk national equality standard 22 05 2013 pioneering businesses take action to promote diversity and inclusion in the workplace follow us on twitter tweets by ey nes follow us on twitter privacybcraccessibilitylegalglobal code of conductsite mapour locationscontact us ey refers to the global organization and may refer to one or more of the member firms of ernst & young global limited each of which is a separate legal entity . ernst & young global limited a uk company limited by guarantee does not provide services to clients .