The Human Rights Campaign Foundation released its 2022 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), which is celebrating 20 years of measuring company policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.
This year, a record-breaking 842 businesses employing 14.3 million workers earned the CEI's top score of 100, up from only 13 in its inaugural year.
Other key findings revealed in the 2022 CEI include:
—Three hundred seventy-nine of Fortune 500 businesses have official CEI ratings based on submitted surveys, as compared to 366 last year—with actively participating Fortune 500 companies having an average score of 94 percent, up from 92 last year;
—71 percent of the Fortune 500 and 91 percent of all CEI-rated businesses offer transgender-inclusive health insurance coverage, up from 0 in 2002, and 14 times as many businesses as ten years ago; and
—56 percent of the Fortune 500 and 77 percent of all CEI-rated companies offer comprehensive domestic partnership benefits, up from 69 percent of companies in 2002, which at that time only required same-sex partner benefits.
The CEI criteria are reviewed annually and are periodically updated, this year HRC Foundation is releasing several criteria changes that will go into effect for the 2023 CEI. The new criterion is outlined below:
—The minimum requirements for transgender-inclusive healthcare policies have been increased.
—A new category has been created centering on family formation that works to ensure equitable access to family benefits for same and different sex legal spouses and domestic partners.
—An ease of access to benefits information is now required for transgender healthcare benefits, family formation and HIV/AIDS health benefits coverage.
—At least one employee training integrating concepts of intersectionality will be required.
—Employers will be required to implement at least one self-ID data collection practice—for example, confidential surveys, human resource systems, or a mechanism for board members to self-ID.
—Gender-transition guidelines are required as well as implementing at least one additional transgender-inclusion best practices, such as gender-neutral restrooms and inclusive dress codes.
The following Chicago-based companies and firms had perfect scores: Aon; Archer Daniels Midland Co.; Baker & McKenzie LLP; Baker Tilly US, LLP; Beam Suntory; Boeing Co.; Capgemini America, INC; Chapman and Cutler LLP; CIBC Bank USA; CME Group Inc.; CNA Financial Corporation; Conagra Brands Inc.; Cushman & Wakefield; Exelon Corp.; Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP; Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; Grant Thornton LLP; Groupon Inc.; Health Care Service Corp.; HERE North America LLC; Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP; Huron Consulting Group Inc.; Hyatt Hotels Corp.; Jenner & Block LLP and JLL.
They also include Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP; Kearney; Kin + Carta; Kirkland & Ellis LLP; The Kraft Heinz Company; Leo Burnett Company Inc.; Mayer Brown LLP; McDermott Will & Emery LLP; Mesirow Financial Holdings Inc.; Molson Coors Beverage Company; Mondelez International Inc.; Morningstar Inc.; Motorola Solutions Inc.; NielsenIQ; Northern Trust Corp.; Peapod Digital Labs LLC; Perkins and Will Inc.; R1 RCM Inc.; RSM US LLP; Schiff Hardin LLP; Seyfarth Shaw LLP; Sidley Austin LLP; Softchoice Corp.; TransUnion; United Airlines Holdings, Inc.; UScellular; West Monroe Partners LLC; William Blair & Company LLC; and Winston & Strawn LLP.
The full report is at www.hrc.org/cei .
