Companies Lauded for Being ‘Gay Friendly’
7/8/2010 By Rebecca R. Hastings, SPHR
The world’s most “gay-friendly” corporations are IBM, Google, BT Group, Morgan Stanley and Cisco Systems, according to the International Business Equality Index 2010, a report produced by the International Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (IGLCC).
In order to be considered for the index in 2010, the second year for the award, a corporation must have offices in at least three countries and more than 10,000 employees or must have offices in more than 10 countries and have at least 5,000 employees. Twenty-five global organizations employing a total of more than 2.2 million people in 220 countries competed for a spot on the list.
Participants responded to 17 questions about their organization’s diversity and inclusion efforts, sexual orientation and gender identity policies, supplier diversity program, marketing and community involvement.
IGLCC gave special consideration to organizations that “go the extra mile and enforce their policies and practices even in countries where homosexuality is punishable by law.”
“International business has an immeasurably important role to play in developing tolerance and diversity throughout the world,” said IGLCC Founding President & Secretary General Pascal Lépine in the June 10, 2010, announcement. "Not only do diversity programs such as those measured by the International Index contribute to the communities, but they are good for business and help ensure that every employee is as productive as he or she can be."
Cisco Systems and IBM appear on The DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) Employees for 2010 list as well.
The U.S.-based companies recognized by IGLCC—IBM, Google, Morgan Stanley and Cisco Systems—were recognized by another index, the Corporate Equality Index: A Report Card on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Equality in Corporate America, published by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation. Each company received the top score—100 percent—in 2009 and 2010.
To achieve such a score, businesses must include sexual orientation and gender identity and expression in nondiscrimination policies and diversity training, must offer transgender-inclusive benefits and a variety of domestic partner benefits, must support an LGBT employee resource group and must market to LGBT consumers or support LGBT organizations.
The recruiting site SimplyHired.com allows job seekers to filter jobs to display those offered by employers who have received a 100 percent score from HRC.
Signs to Look For
Whether or not a company seeks formal recognition for their efforts, gays and lesbians say a gay friendly culture is something they look for.
“It is very important to me to work in a gay-friendly work environment,” Kristy Short, owner of SAS Communications 360, LLC, told SHRM Online. “I never want to feel like I have to hide my personal life ... that is, not talk about my wife or bring my partner to work functions. It would be stifling.”
She looks at a company’s benefits for “up-front, tangible evidence” as to whether it’s a place where she would like to work.
“Domestic partner health insurance is of primary importance,” said Ken Goldman, a partner with ImproSells, a N.J.-based training company that specializes in improvisation, as are the availability of an employee group focused on gay and transgender issues and a company’s membership in the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC).
Tim Hanson, director of public relations for Catalyst, an Austin, Texas-based advertising and public relations agency that he calls “a great gay-friendly employer,” said he checks out a company’s web site to see if they have a gay pride group and whether they take part in June Pride Month festivities.
Does It Really Matter?
“Feeling good about where you work on all levels creates a joy about being there nine hours a day ... and makes me more productive, creative and motivated,” Short told SHRM Online. “I don't know how other gay professionals work in less-than-gay-friendly cultures.”
She worked for an accounting firm for nearly eight years before leaving to start her business.
“It's a wonderful company,” Short said of the company she left, “one where I was completely out and comfortable with it. The company offers same-sex health benefits and always provided a culture of openness and diversity.”
Hanson said it’s “extremely important” to him to work for a gay-friendly company. “I'm not going to work for an organization that doesn't like me,” he told SHRM Online.
Goldman agreed: “I would not want to work at a company whose culture was racist, homophobic, misogynist or otherwise discriminatory to anybody.”
Other Red Flags
Short said it is “incredibly difficult to ascertain a level of gay friendliness right away. … You have to become ingrained in the culture before you can get a feel for it.”
Still, there are signs to watch for.
Goldman said he tends to avoid companies that give money to organizations that are subtly or overtly homophobic and those whose senior executives have made statements “that seem homophobic.”
Political donations offer another clue as to an organization’s gay friendliness, Hanson added.
He said he steers clear of those companies “that don’t mention diversity on their web site at all—for any minority.”
Intentional Outreach
"To attract openly gay workers, who worry about discrimination, we must promote an atmosphere of acceptance as well as create programs and events that will attract the best candidates," said Niloufar Molavi, chief diversity officer at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
PwC was the first of the Big Four accounting firms to create a Partner Advisory Board comprised of openly gay partners and professionals with varied tenures, skills and life experiences. The board drives programs and support from the top, provides visible role models for others and advises firm leadership on the planning and implementation of initiatives related to the gay and transgender community.
PwC offers:
•Health care benefits for domestic partners of gay employees.
•Bereavement leave for employees to use when a same-sex partner passes away.
•Adoption assistance or paid leave when a same-sex couple has children.
•Relocation assistance for partners when employees are transferred.
•Support for a wide array of gay rights groups.
Similarly, Prudential Financial offers benefits to partners and “has done so for years,” according to Emilio Egea, the company’s chief diversity officer. “We are a member of the Business Coalition for Benefits Tax Equity, which supports the elimination of the value of domestic partner health coverage from taxable income for both employees and employers,” he said, adding that the company supports the proposed Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) legislation to protect LGBT persons from employment discrimination.
According to Egea, Prudential’s Employee Association of Gay Men, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgenders—known as EAGLES—was founded in 1993 to foster an environment that is inclusive and supportive of employees of all sexual orientations and gender identities. The group’s goals are to:
•Raise awareness of LGBT issues in the workplace.
•Promote and advance change that will help people respect and value differences.
•Promote professional and personal development for all employees.
•Help engage and retain LGBT employees.
•Assist Prudential in identifying market opportunities with LGBT consumers.
Egea noted that Prudential sponsors multiple LGBT organizations and gay pride events and that it recognizes Gay Pride Month annually.
Like the IGLCC’s winners, Prudential and PwC received a 100 percent—a perfect score—on the Human Rights Campaign's 2010 Corporate Equality Index.
What’s in It for Employers?
“Ultimately, our goal is to build the cultural dexterity of all our people so they can work effectively with colleagues who are different from themselves, which is good for both the firm and our clients,” Molavi said.
“Straight or gay, who you are and how you're able to interact with others at work has a direct influence on your performance,” he continued. “An inclusive work environment where you can be open and honest about who you are enables all of us to perform at our best.”
“Our talent is what differentiates us in the marketplace. … Our constituents represent many walks of life, so our talent must also reflect this diversity,” Egea said. The company’s commitment to diversity and inclusion is an important part of its efforts to attract top talent.
“If we all had the same backgrounds and perspectives, we would probably miss the boat on meeting the needs of our diverse clients, investors, customers and communities,” he added. However, by being inclusive of the LGBT population, Prudential gains “a motivated and engaged workforce that will be inspired to think creatively and collaborate to develop solutions that meet the needs of our customers.
“Honestly, there are no cons to being inclusive,” Egea said.
To get there, Egea suggests, employers should look at their organization and ask a few questions:
•Are employees given a voice to contribute?
•Are there various perspectives included in decision-making?
•Does the organization have an employee resource group for gay and transgender employees and advocates?
•If so, is there a mechanism for regular communications with the leaders and members of the organization?
•Is the company trying to recruit, retain and market to members of the gay and transgender community?
•What initiatives support those business objectives?
•Are benefits, company policies and practices inclusive?
•Is the organization reaching out to gay and transgender suppliers as part of its procurement process?
•Is there senior executive-level support for the initiatives?
•What is the evidence of that support (e.g., executive sponsorship, mentoring/development opportunities provided)?
“Organizations that integrate openness and equality into their culture will thrive,” Molavi added.
Rebecca R. Hastings, SPHR, is an online editor/manager for SHRM.
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