Stonewall has revealed its 2009 list of top gay-friendly employers

The showcase for the best business for gay staff names Lloyds TSB as the top place for lesbian and gay people to work.

Second place went to Hampshire Constabulary with Brighton & Hove City Council third.

The Home Office won the award for Employee Network Group of the Year and law firm Simmons & Simmons was named Most Improved Employer.

The gay rights charity bases its Index on a range of key indicators which this year included the largest ever survey of lesbian and gay employees with almost 7,000 participants. Gay staff working at the top 25 workplaces reported a satisfaction level almost 10 percent higher than workplaces outside the top 100. Staff were also more likely to disclose their sexual orientation in monitoring exercises at the highest ranking organisations.

Stonewall Chief Executive Ben Summerskill said: "This was our most competitive index to date. We received more entries than ever before from employers who have taken heed of recent Stonewall research which found that gay people are far more likely to buy goods or services from companies they know are gay-friendly. The Index is a powerful tool used by Britain's 1.7 million gay employees and 150,000 gay university students to decide where to take their talent and skills."

Eric Daniels of Lloyds TSB said: "Sexual orientation has been a key diversity priority for Lloyds TSB for a number of years and this accolade is testament to our progress and commitment to this agenda. Our recent research with LGB staff confirmed that our internal culture has improved since the introduction of our sexual orientation strategy and that most LGB staff also feel comfortable about being out in our workplace."

Stonewall's Director of Workplace Programmes David Shields added: "In the credit crunch, shrewd employers know it makes good business sense not to cut back on robust diversity initiatives. Stonewall research proves that gay people perform much better at work when they can be themselves. This is a time when staff performance is crucial to employers weathering financial difficulties, which is no doubt why the Index was at its most competitive this year."