BEST AND WORST
COMPANIES FOR GAY
AND TRANSGENDER
EMPLOYEES REVEALED
Seven Times as Many
Corporations Provide Full Protections
Since 2002; Defense
Giant Raytheon Leads Industry;
Best Buy Soars While
Radio Shack and Circuit City Sag
From hrc.org on the
Web. September 20, 2005
WASHINGTON — The Human Rights
Campaign Foundation unveiled its fourth annual report card today on corporate
America’s treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, which
includes a record 101 companies with a perfect 100 percent score — more than
seven times as many since the first report card in 2002.
“Equality now illuminates thousands of factory floors, board rooms and cubicles
across America,” said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign.
“The enormous growth we’ve tracked in fair employee policies proves that
corporate America is making good on the old adage: what’s good for
business is good for America.”
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s fourth annual report card — the Corporate
Equality Index — rates Fortune 500 and other major companies on a scale from
zero to 100 percent on seven key indicators of fair treatment for GLBT
employees. Indicators include policies prohibiting discrimination based on
sexual orientation and gender identity as well as equal health care benefits.
Among this year’s key findings:
o A record 101 companies score 100 percent, which is attributed to a sharp
increase in gender identity non-discrimination policies. In 2002, only 13
companies earned a perfect rating.
o Today, 5.6 million people work at the 101 companies that score 100 percent.
In 2002, approximately 690,000 people were employed by the 13 companies that
scored 100 percent.
o Eighty-one percent of scored companies offer health benefits to the domestic
partners of employees, up from 70 percent in 2002.
“With 101 companies scoring one hundred percent, millions of Americans now have
protections they would have only dreamed of a few years ago,” said Daryl
Herrschaft, director of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Workplace Project
and lead author of the report.
While industries like computer manufacturing have had 100 percent scores for
years with leaders like IBM, defense giant Raytheon reached 100 percent this
year as a first for its industry. In addition, BP and Chevron became the
first oil companies to score 100 percent and Dow Chemical became the first in
its industry to do so.
“Prudential Financial is proud of the recognition received from the Human Rights
Campaign Foundation,” said Arthur F. Ryan, chairman and CEO of Prudential
Financial, a 100 percent company. “Diversity continues to be key to the
ongoing success of our company, and we remain committed to ensuring an inclusive
and supportive work environment for all people.”
In electronics retail, Best Buy offers full protections to GLBT employees, while
competitor Radio Shack scores a 29 percent and Circuit City holds a 43 percent
score.
Corporations shown to be actively working against equality include Emerson
Electric with a 29 percent score; Entergy with 36 percent; Exxon Mobil with 14
percent; and Perot Systems with a 14 percent score.
In the financial sector, Citigroup and J.P. Morgan Chase each score 100 percent
compared to MBNA that has given money to anti-gay organizations and scores only
43 percent.
“Corporate America knows that treating employees fairly is not just the right
thing to do, it’s good for the bottom line,” added Solmonese.
Starting Sept. 22 in Denver, more than 40 of the companies scoring 100 percent
will attend this year’s Out & Equal Workplace Summit where for two days they
will join more than 850 GLBT employees, straight allies and human resources and
diversity professionals who share the same vision of equal treatment in the
workplace
The HRC Foundation’s Workplace Project not only tracks corporate policies on
GLBT issues, but also advocates for equal treatment within corporate America
through educational programs and direct advocacy.
(Abridged)
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