Companies that embrace equality: in 2006 a record number of Fortune 500 companies are offering benefits and protections to their LGBT employees. The Advocate highlights 10 additions to its ever-growing list of equality-minded employers.As the nation approaches the midterm election, few candidates or incumbents have expressed their support for full gay equality. But even if the government isn't moving in that direction, the private sector clearly is. Among corporations across the nation domestic-partner benefits have become the norm, not the rarity. A majority of Fortune 500 companies now offer domestic-partner health benefits, up from just one in 1992, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Human Rights Campaign. Many household brands have policies that support employees transitioning from one gender to another. And a record 92.2% of Fortune 500 companies have policies that include protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation sexual orientation n. The direction of one's sexual interest toward members of the same, opposite, or both sexes, especially a direction seen to be dictated by physiologic rather than sociologic forces. , according to the Equality Forum. As The Advocate prepared its eighth annual list of new inductees to our ongoing list of great places for LGBT LGBT Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender people to work, it found a record number of firms striving to earn spots in the upper echelon of pro-gay workplaces. New honorees were selected in part on the basis of data from the Human Rights Campaign's 2006 Corporate Equality Index The Corporate Equality Index is a report published by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation as a tool to rate American businesses on their treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, consumers and investors. It has been published annually since 2002. , which gives companies scores from 0 to 100. These 10 all scored 100. "So many companies are on the right path," says HRC HRC Human Rights Campaign HRC Human Rights Council (UN) HRC Human Rights Commission HRC Hard Rock Cafe HRC Hillary Rodham Clinton (democratic senator/presidential candidate; former first lady) president Joe Solmonese Joe Solmonese was appointed President of the Human Rights Campaign of the United States and its affiliate, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, on March 9, 2005. A native of Attleboro, Massachusetts, Solmonese, aged 40 at the time of his appointment, lives in Washington, D.C. . "The few really bad companies--the ExxonMobils of the world--you can almost count on one hand. That's a sea change, where we've been able to go with this work over a relatively short period of time." To earn a perfect score on HRC's list this year, for the first time, companies must offer transgender-wellness benefits such as pharmacy coverage for hormone therapy Hormone therapy Treating cancers by changing the hormone balance of the body, instead of by using cell-killing drugs. Mentioned in: Breast Cancer, Thyroid Cancer hormone therapy , while offering the same benefits to gay partners that straight spouses enjoy. Despite the stricter requirements, 133 companies earned 100s, up from 101 last year and 13 in 2002, the year the Corporate Equality Index was established. The following companies are not The Advocate's pick of the "10 best." They are a selection of recent recruits to a growing list of great employers. Anheuser-Busch Headquarters: St. Louis Revenue: $15 billion Global employees: 31,485 Fortune 500 ranking: 146 Gay beer drinkers likely recognize this company's "Be Yourself" advertisements featuring illustrations of buff men partying with Bud Light bottles in their hands. The nation's biggest beer maker includes gay couples not only in its marketing campaigns but also in its employee programs. The brewer of Michelob beer and Tilt malt beverage Malt beverage is an American term for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic fermented beverages, in which the primary ingredient is barley, which has been allowed to sprout ("malt") slightly before it is processed. provides comprehensive benefits to gay employees and their partners. It offers medical, dental, and vision insurance and adoption assistance. And even if an employee's domestic partner chooses not to participate in Anheuser-Busch's health plans, he or she remains eligible for many other benefits, says Joe Castellano, vice president of corporate human resources The fancy word for "people." The human resources department within an organization, years ago known as the "personnel department," manages the administrative aspects of the employees. . For example, domestic partners still would be eligible for relocation assistance, financial planning Financial planning Evaluating the investing and financing options available to a firm. Planning includes attempting to make optimal decisions, projecting the consequences of these decisions for the firm in the form of a financial plan, and then comparing future performance against services, legal services legal services n. the work performed by a lawyer for a client. , and the employee assistance program. Boeing Headquarters: Chicago Revenue: $55 billion Global employees: 158,000 Fortune 500 ranking: 26 The largest manufacturer of satellites, commercial jetliners, and military aircraft has included sexual orientation in its nondiscrimination policy since 1998. But the company went further this year. It added gender identity to that policy and published guidelines to support employees transitioning from one gender to another. "That was a major celebration for us," says Connie Jack, cultural diversity and inclusion manager. "Diversity itself is a core business strategy of the company. It is our intent to create an inclusive environment that provides for a fully engaged workforce." Besides offering domestic-partner benefits, Boeing has diversity training that covers sexual orientation and sends out an annual "re-affirmation letter" reminding employees of its antiharassment policies and commitment to diversity. In addition, the Boeing Employees Association of Gays, Lesbians, and Friends provides personal and professional development for LGBT employees, and an LGBT advisory committee helps management in fostering a welcoming workplace. Bristol-Myers Squibb Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE: BMY), colloquially referred to as BMS, is a pharmaceutical corporation, formed by a 1989 merger between pharmaceutical companies Bristol-Myers Company, founded in 1887 by William McLaren Bristol and John Ripley Myers in Clinton, NY (both were Headquarters: New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. Revenue: $19.2 billion Global employees: 42,000 Fortune 500 ranking: 110 Through a landmark partnership with Gilead Sciences Gilead Sciences NASDAQ: GILD is a biopharmaceutical company that discovers, develops and commercializes therapeutics to advance the care of patients suffering from life-threatening diseases. , this 119-year-old company is making life easier for HIV-positive people It may never be fully completed or, depending on its its nature, it may be that it can never be completed. However, new and revised entries in the list are always welcome. . Atripla, the first once-a-day single tablet for treating HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. infection, contains Bristol-Myers Squibb's Sustiva medication along with Gilead's Emtriva and Viread. Bristol-Myers Squibb has kept pace with the times not only through pharmaceutical innovations but also through workplace advances. It offers the same benefits to same-sex domestic partners as it does to married couples: health insurance, coverage of a partner's dependents, temporary continuation of health coverage at group rates to former employees and their domestic partners, adoption assistance, and four child care centers, among other perks. Every three to four years, all employees complete mandatory antiharassment and nondiscrimination training that includes sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, says Stacey Gibson, senior director of work/life and diversity. Additional training is offered on an intranet. And its gay pride activities include "town hall" meetings that have featured Selisse Berry, executive director of Out and Equal Workplace Advocates, and Judy Shepard, mother of gay murder victim Matthew Shepard Matthew Wayne Shepard (December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998) was an American student at the University of Wyoming who was fatally attacked near Laramie, on the night of October 6 – October 7, 1998 in what was widely reported by international news media as a savage . Coca-Cola Headquarters: Atlanta Revenue: $23.1 billion Global employees: 55,000 Fortune 500 ranking: 89 The board of directors of the world's largest nonalcoholic non·al·co·hol·ic adj. A beverage usually containing less than 0.5 percent alcohol by volume. beverage company sent a message about their commitment to LGBT equality by sticking to their pro-gay policies when challenged. They opposed one shareholder's attempt in 2003 to remove sexual orientation from Coca-Cola's employee nondiscrimination policy and to repeal its domestic-partner benefits. The proposal failed, and the Atlanta company continues to prohibit job discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity or expression. Coca-Cola has provided health insurance to same-sex domestic partners that spans medical, vision, and dental coverage, including retiree health care, since January 2001. It sanctions the Gay and Lesbian Employee Forum, an outgrowth of an unofficial group formed in 1998, that serves as a network for LGBT employees. And the company again spread its message of inclusion publicly by sponsoring the 2006 Atlanta Pride Festival. Deloitte & Touche Headquarters: New York City Revenue: $7.8 billion U.S. employees: 33,000 Fortune 500 ranking: N/A Listen to out partner George Zuber and you'll hear how this Big Four accounting firm stood by gay employees and embraced diversity before many others got "on that bandwagon." "I chose Deloitte primarily because of its value of people toward diversity," says Zuber, who joined the firm 23 years ago. "Even back in 1983, when I made that decision, some of the things that influenced me was that our largest practice at that time was led by a gay partner and even during the '80s ... Deloitte, rather than trying to cut back benefits, actually was providing additional benefits and support for partners and others with AIDS at Deloitte." Deloitte & Touche offers domestic-partner benefits that mirror those available to straight married employees: medical, dental, and vision insurance; sabbaticals equal to that given to straight married employees under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act; bereavement Bereavement Definition Bereavement refers to the period of mourning and grief following the death of a beloved person or animal. The English word bereavement leave; relocation assistance; and adoption assistance. Its extensive gender-reassignment coverage includes mental health counseling and short-term leave for surgical procedures Surgical procedures have long and possibly daunting names. The meaning of many surgical procedure names can often be understood if the name is broken into parts. For example in splenectomy, "ectomy" is a suffix meaning the removal of a part of the body. "Splene-" means spleen. . Since the late 1990s the firm has supported its Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender transgender or transgendered adj. Transsexual. Employees and Allies group, which has more than a dozen chapters nationwide. In addition, two Deloitte employees are on HRC's national board, with a third to come in October; Zuber serves on Lambda Legal's board of directors; and Deloitte is a founding member of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS HIV/AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome . The firm also sponsors the annual Reaching Out conference for LGBT MBA MBA abbr. Master of Business Administration Noun 1. MBA - a master's degree in business Master in Business, Master in Business Administration students. Intuit Headquarters: Mountain View, Calif. Revenue: $2.3 billion Global employees: 7,500 Fortune 1,000 ranking: 779 You might not know the name Intuit, but you likely will recognize the names of its best-known products. The maker of the TurboTax tax-preparation software and Quicken financial software long has prohibited job discrimination based on sexual orientation and added gender identity to that policy in 2004. It offers comprehensive domestic-partner health benefits, including counseling for transgender employees and parental leave parental leave n. A leave of absence granted to a parent to care for a new baby. . Employees and their domestic partners also can use a free referral service to help find child care, elder care, and pet care. And to help with the cost of adopting a child, Intuit reimburses up to $3,500 per adoption. In addition, the Intuit Foundation matches donations made by Intuit employees to qualified organizations and funds grants for employee-nominated organizations. Kraft Foods Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE: KFT) is the largest food and beverage company headquartered in North America and the second largest in the world after Nestlé SA. The Philip Morris Company (now known as Altria Group), a company that produces tobacco products, acquired Kraft for Headquarters: Northfield, Ill. Revenue: $34.1 billion Global employees: 94,000 Fortune 500 ranking: N/A This summer proved to be a good season for the nation's largest food and beverage F&B is a common abbreviation in the United States and Commonwealth countries, including Hong Kong. F&B is typically the widely accepted abbreviation for "Food and Beverage," which is the sector/industry that specializes in the conceptualization, the making of, and delivery of foods. company. It stood up to threats from religious conservatives by refusing to cancel its sponsorship of the Gay Games The Gay Games is the world's largest sporting and cultural event organized by LGBT athletes, artists, musicians, and others. Originally called the Gay Olympics, held in Chicago in July. That same month, the maker of Balance bars and Milk-Bone dog snacks reported that its second-quarter net earnings rose 44% compared with a year ago. And its new CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. , Irene Rosenfeld Irene Rosenfeld is the 53-year-old CEO of Kraft Foods Inc., having been appointed June 26, 2006. Rosenfeld had spent more than 20 years with Kraft and General Foods before joining Frito-Lay, a division of PepsiCo, in 1994, and rejoining Kraft as president of Kraft Canada in , former CEO of PepsiCo's Frito-Lay snack division, talked with employees about the importance of workforce diversity and inclusion during her first "town hall" meeting. "I believe that diversity is fundamental to our continued business success," Rosenfeld said. For LGBT employees and their partners, that commitment to diversity means an array of benefits such as medical, dental, and vision coverage. Kraft's pharmaceutical benefits cover hormone therapy for transgender employees and related medical visits to monitor the treatments. The Rainbow Council, a gay employee group with more than 100 members, recently started its newest chapter in Madison, Wis. And all employees are required to attend diversity training that covers issues such as sexual orientation. "I think we have a very progressive environment that allows employees to thrive," says Rod Christmon, associate director of North American North American named after North America. North American blastomycosis see North American blastomycosis. North American cattle tick see boophilusannulatus. diversity. PricewaterhouseCoopers Headquarters: New York City Revenue: $20.3 billion Global employees: 120,000 Fortune 500 ranking: N/A PricewaterhouseCoopers, the world's largest accounting firm, has been busily reaching out to its LGBT personnel, from entry-level associates to senior-level partners. In January 2005 it formed an LGBT advisory board with nine of the firm's gay partners on it. Now they're all featured in a video being circulated throughout the firm. "By bringing together some people who have really succeeded in our firm and risen through the ranks to become partner and then to visibly promote their coming out, if you will, to the whole firm, is our way of saying this is OK in our environment," says partner Chris Simmons Chris Simmons (born 8 January, 1975 in Canterbury) is an English actor who plays DC Mickey Webb in The Bill. He has also guest starred in Casualty and Doctors. Lives in Southwest London with his girlfriend , chief diversity officer. "That is a big statement for us to make." PwC is planning to make an even bigger statement in an upcoming print advertisement that shows a large question mark next to the declaration "Whether it's a choice or not, we've made ours." "A lot of people feel it's important to decide whether being gay is a choice or nature before they decide whether they can be inclusive," Simmons says. "Our view is that it really doesn't matter why somebody has become who they are. We should be respectful and inclusive of them. We're really trying to take a stand on important issues, not just make generic statements that we support the GLBT GLBT Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered community." PwC offers comprehensive domestic-partner benefits and prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. This summer and fall, strategic meetings have included sessions in which out colleagues talked about their work experiences. And the founders of the firm's first LGBT diversity circle last year won a coveted cov·et v. cov·et·ed, cov·et·ing, cov·ets v.tr. 1. To feel blameworthy desire for (that which is another's). See Synonyms at envy. 2. To wish for longingly. See Synonyms at desire. chairman's award. Eleven locations now have LGBT circles. Starcom MediaVest Group Headquarters: Chicago Revenue: $700 million Global employees: 5,541 Fortune 500 ranking: N/A You might be seeing a certain commercial during Logo's Noah's Arc instead of NBC's The Office because Starcom MediaVest Group understands whom to reach where. A unit of the Paris-based advertising conglomerate Publicis, Starcom helps advertisers determine the right mix of media to reach their target audiences, then buys their ad space on TV, in print, the Internet, or elsewhere. Starcom also understands how to treat its LGBT workers. In addition to domestic-partner health benefits, gay employees get five paid days of vacation when they have a commitment ceremony, the same leave given to straight employees when they marry. And on top of adoption assistance, employees get two additional weeks of paid time off when they or their partner adopt a child or give birth. The LGBT Lifestyle, Interests, and Networks for Knowledge and Support group acts as an advocate for gay employees, a resource for understanding LGBT consumers, and even an ad hoc For this purpose. Meaning "to this" in Latin, it refers to dealing with special situations as they occur rather than functions that are repeated on a regular basis. See ad hoc query and ad hoc mode. focus group for getting feedback about ideas. In July, LINKS members placed educational posters throughout their building with facts about LGBT consumers. "As a media agency, we're all about connecting with the consumer," says Mary O'Leary, senior vice president of human resources. "We want to have an employee population that is representative of the population. By having a significant LGBT presence bring one particular piece of the patchwork of America into our organization, we believe that we are representing our clients in a very appropriate way by having employees who are representative of the market." Volkswagen of America Volkswagen of America (VWoA) is the U.S. subsidiary of the Volkswagen automobile company in Germany. Formed in April 1955 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey to standardize dealership service in the United States, it grew to 909 Volkswagen dealers in the United States by 1965 under the Headquarters: Auburn Hills, Mich. Revenue: $9 billion U.S. employees: 3,000 Fortune 500 ranking: N/A It's no surprise that the company that airs daring Jetta commercials poking fun at stereotypes or a truck-on-car collision also is a leader within the workplace. A 25-member cross-functional diversity council that advises the Volkswagen executive board includes an LGBT representative. In 2003 the company launched mandatory diversity training that addresses sexual orientation. "We don't have a lot of training that's mandatory," says Machelle Williams, corporate diversity leader, "and that one is." Williams travels throughout the organization, the U.S. sales arm of German-based Volkswagen AG, leading what's known as "courageous conversation," educational discussions that tackle myths about sexual orientation. In addition to the domestic-partner benefits that define top-tier employers, Volkswagen lets spouses and domestic partners of employees lease cars, such as the Passat and the Beetle, at discounted prices. Employees take pride in their employer's reputation. Those in a suburban Chicago facility, for example, hung a banner heralding the company's perfect score on the HRC Corporate Equality Index. "Our goal is to create a culture of inclusion," says Williams. "That means people are comfortable bringing their whole selves to work every day." Seeking good companies Looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. employment with a company that values gays and lesbians? In the past it was up to you to gather information on potential employers from gay rights groups like the Human Rights Campaign before conducting a job search. Now you can go to SimplyHired.com--"the world's largest search engine for jobs"--and enter your criteria into a special filter that contains only those companies with policies that protect gays and lesbians from discrimination. "It's one of our most important filters," says Kay Luo, director of marketing for Simply Hired, noting the site also has filters for criteria such as dog-friendly companies. "When you're talking about someone's life and who they are, that definitely trumps any other basic filter." In the absence of federal legislation to protect gay workers, American corporations have stepped up to fill the void, Luo says. The Human Rights Campaign recognizes these companies with their Corporate Equality Index, which evaluates key criteria such as protection against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Companies featured in Simply Hired's LGBT-friendly job search include those who received a perfect score from the HRC. To try it out, visits. Reaching 500 When Malcolm Lazin and his Philadelphia-based gay rights group Equality Forum launched the Fortune 500 Project three years ago, only 64.6% of the nation's top companies had policies protecting gay employees from discrimination. But by talking to CEOs and human resource directors, the project has been able to raise that number to 92.2%, or 461 companies. "It's not as easy as to just say that extending same-sex benefits is the right thing to do," says Lazin, who founded and directs Equality Forum. "We needed to create a business need for it and make these companies aware that it serves their best interest." That included pointing out that recent polls show overwhelming public support for policies that protect gays and lesbians from discrimination. And a little peer pressure didn't hurt either: This year Lazin's group approached companies without pro-gay policies and told them, "You're one out of five companies in your area who are not doing this," Lazin says. "It was all about good strategy and business." The project is a collaboration between Equality Forum, University of Pennsylvania (body, education) University of Pennsylvania - The home of ENIAC and Machiavelli. http://upenn.edu/. Address: Philadelphia, PA, USA. professor Louis Thomas, and Yale Law School Yale Law School, or YLS, is the law school of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1843, the school offers the J.D., LL.M., J.S.D., and M.S.L. degrees in law. It also hosts visiting scholars and several legal research centers. professor lan Ayres. With the number of top companies with protections nearing 100%, Lazin and his colleagues now have their sights on Congress, where they hope to convince lawmakers to pass federal legislation protecting gays from discrimination in employment. "It's remarkable and reflective of the cultural changes in our world and the number of people who are coming out," Lazin says. "Congress will follow."--Paul Florez Other Top Companies In the past seven years The Advocate has chosen 85 other firms as good companies for gay and lesbian employees. All remain on the list except for three. Fannie Mae Fannie Mae: see Federal National Mortgage Association. was removed after its corporate foundation contributed to antigay organizations, including a $50,000 donation to the Traditional Values Coalition The Traditional Values Coalition is a Christian Right organization that claims to represent over 43,000 conservative Christian churches throughout the United States of America. Headquartered in Washington, D.C. . Donna Karan International was removed when it fell to a 57 rating on HRC's Corporate Equality Index in 2004. Mobil fell off the list in 2002 after its domestic-partner policy was rescinded when the company merged with Exxon. Here are the remaining companies that are still good places for LGBT employees to work: Agilent Technologies AT&T Aetna AMR (1) (Adaptive Multi-Rate) A variable rate speech codec selected by the 3GPP for the 3G evolution of the GSM cellphone system (WCDMA). Using the Algebraic CELP (ACELP) compression technology, AMR provides toll quality sound at transmission rates from 4.75 to 12. Corp. (American Airlines) American Express Apple Computer Avaya Bank One Bausch & Lomb Ben & Jerry's Homemade Best Buy Borders Group Capital One Financial Charles Schwab Cingular Wireless ChoicePoint Chubb Corp. Cisco Systems Citigroup Dell Deutsche Bank Eastman Kodak Ford Motor Co. FleetBoston (formerly BankBoston) Gap General Mills General Motors Gillette GlaxoSmithKline Global Hyatt Corp. (Hyatt Hotels) Hewlett-Packard IBM (International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY, www.ibm.com) The world's largest computer company. IBM's product lines include the S/390 mainframes (zSeries), AS/400 midrange business systems (iSeries), RS/6000 workstations and servers (pSeries), Intel-based servers (xSeries) Intel J.P. Morgan Chase Kaiser Permanente Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group Lehman Brothers Levi Strauss Lillian Vernon Limited Brands (The Limited) Lucent Technologies MetLife The Miller Brewing Co. Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams Merrill Lynch Morrison and Foerster Motorola NCR (NCR Corporation, Dayton, OH, www.ncr.com) A technology company specializing in financial terminal transactions, retail systems and data warehousing. Until the late 1990s, NCR was heavily invested in the hardware side of the industry, known worldwide as a major manufacturer of computers Nike Olivia Cruises and Resorts Oracle Owens Coming Pacific Gas and Electric PepsiCo Pfizer Polaroid Prudential Quark Raytheon Reebok Ree´bok` n. 1. (Zool.) The peele. Replacements S.C. Johnson Sara Lee Scholastic Shell Oil Sprint Nextel Starbucks Subaru of America Sun Microsystems Texas Instruments Time Warner UAL UAL United Airlines (ICAO code) UAL Unified Accelerator Library (Brookhaven National Laboratory) UAL User Account Lockdown UAL User Access Layer UAL Universal Auxiliary Language UAL User Agent Layer (United Airlines) Verizon Communications (formerly Bell Atlantic) Viacom Wainwright Bank & Trust The Walt Disney Co. Washington Mutual Wells Fargo Working Assets Worldspan Wyndham Worldwide Xerox Henneman is a former staff writer for the San Francisco Chronicle The San Francisco Chronicle was founded in 1865 as The Daily Dramatic Chronicle by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young.[2] The paper grew along with San Francisco to become the largest circulation newspaper on the West Coast of the who also contributes to Workplace Management magazine. |
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