Image: www.hrc.org
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the leading social justice and human rights organization, recently issued its 2014 Corporate Equality Index. The Corporate Responsibility Index (CEI) is an annual report that highlights the companies that have actively worked to establish LGBT workplace equality; it’s a national tool that reveals the LGBT-related standards and policies of hundreds of companies. The 2014 CEI report includes 734 major businesses that represent nearly every industry; the ratings are a valuable tool to track a corporate approach to workplace equality.
According to the HRC, “Employers that have earned a 100 percent rating on the HRC Corporate Equality Index have satisfied all of the criteria for that year and are recognized as a ‘Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality.’” The organization explains that the criteria have been created as a way to measure the ways in which employers seek to be LGBT-inclusive. A high rating for a business not only encourages future employees to pursue careers there, but showcases an inclusive work culture and is very good for business.
Happily, this year’s report reveals many major corporations that scored high ratings, signifying the ways in which workplace culture in progressing in favor of LGBT equality. Moody’s Corp., headed by CEO Ray McDaniel, earned a 100% rating for the second year in a row, as did AIG, Apple Inc., Barnes & Noble Inc., and Comcast Corp. Other companies that earned a 100% rating this year include Dell Inc., Google Inc., A/X Armani Exchange, Hyatt Hotels Corp., Levi Strauss & Co., PepsiCo Inc., The Walt Disney Co., and dozens of others.
For the full report on hundreds of businesses, detailed criteria, and information about LGBT workplace equality, here is the complete 2014 Corporate Equality Index.