Dive Brief:
- A record 609 organizations earned the highest possible score for policies and practices that protect LGBTQ workers, according to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a civil rights organization for the LGBTQ community.
- The number of 100% ratings included in HRC's Corporate Equality Index broke last year's record total of 517 companies. In a statement, HRC President Chad Griffin said the top-scoring U.S. companies work to establish inclusiveness in the U.S. and abroad, in addition to being outspoken advocates for equality by filing amicus briefs on behalf of LGBTQ plaintiffs in court cases and supporting passage of the Equality Act.
- Griffin said growing corporate support comes at a time when the Trump administration has removed protections for LGBTQ workers and military personnel. The U.S. Department of Justice recently filed a brief in response to a court ruling on case involving alleged discrimination based on sexual orientation, taking a stance opposite that of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
Dive Insight:
The latest HRC index seems to indicate progress in the area of workforce inclusiveness. It also shows employers don't necessarily have to wait for direction from federal courts and agencies to set pro-LGBTQ policies and procedures to create a more inclusive workplace.
A CivicScience survey found that LGBTQ workers have an unemployment rate that's up to three times greater than the U.S. population as a whole. There are myriad of explanations for individual cases, but it's not outside the realm of possibility to expect that both discriminatory hiring practices and workplace harassment play a part in the problems that affect the LGBTQ community.
Inclusiveness, moreover, is essential for companies that want to stay competitive in recruiting, hiring and retaining a talented workforce. Studies show that besides being the morally right thing to do, unbiased hiring and maintaining a diverse workplace contribute to a company's profitability.
