To secure they’re able to hire the best, American companies are standing with the LGBT community.
That’s according to a new study commissioned by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI), released Nov. 14.
A record 252 businesses received the top score of 100 in the 2013 CEI, earning the distinction “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality. In comparison, just 13 businesses received the top rating 11 years ago, the first time the CEI was released.
“LGBT-inclusive workplace policies are not only the right thing to do and good business practices, they are the new normal,” said HRC President Chad Griffin in a media release. “Americans have spoken, and as we celebrate our victories at the ballot box, we hope Congress will follow corporate America’s lead and create a level playing field – including passing fully-inclusive workplace non-discrimination legislation.”
According to the latest CEI, a record 74 major businesses and law firms publicly supported pro-equality legislation at the state and federal levels – including those that took an active role in the marriage campaigns this fall. 2013’s CEI is also the first time a majority of Fortune 500 companies have nondiscrimination policies that cover gender identity (from 50 percent to 57 percent), while an 84 percent of CEI participants offer protection aganist gender identity discrimination.
Another trend is rising coverage of transgender-inclusive healthcare, with 287 (42 percent) companies offering comprehensive healthcare coverage to transgender workers, up from 19 percent last year.
