Prodding the Fortune 500: one gay rights leader learned that equality in the workplace may come by simply asking for it.Concerned that 176 of the nation's Fortune 500 companies didn't include 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. language in their nondiscrimination non·dis·crim·i·na·tion n. 1. Absence of discrimination. 2. The practice or policy of refraining from discrimination. non policies, Malcom Lazin decided to take matters into his own hands. As head of the Philadelphia-based Equality Forum, an international gay rights organization, Lazin launched a letter-writing campaign targeting CEOs and convinced at least 63 of the companies to add protections for their gay and lesbian employees. An he had to do was ask. "We told them why the inclusion of the words sexual orientation was important," Lazin says. "We explained that under federal law there is no protection [for gay employees]. Some were surprised to learn their company did not offer that already." Lazin's effort took its cues from the Human Rights Campaign's 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 for the past three years has rated Fortune 500 companies on their treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered transgendered adjective Relating to a person who has undergone genital/sexual reassignment surgery Transgender health issues Hormonal therapy, cosmetic surgery, fertility options–eg, egg and sperm banking. See Sexual reassignment. Cf Transsexual. employees. At Equality Forum's annual conference beginning April 26, Lazin released the list of 63 companies that had agreed to add pro-gay protections. One company, he says, went a step further. "Aramark [an international food services food services Hospital services A 24/7 department in a hospital that provides for the nutritional needs of inpatients–eg, those needing special diets, preparing meals and transporting them to the floor and, through the cafeteria, the hospital staff and company] was at the top of HRC's 'bad list,'" Lazin says. "But they didn't think of themselves as discriminatory. I got a call from the head of [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. ], who said sexual orientation would be included in their policy. Two or three weeks later I got a call back announcing they would be providing domestic-partner benefits. They were incredibly receptive, but no one had brought it to their attention. And we found that with others as we proceeded." But Kim Mills, the education director for 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) , who oversees work on the Equality index, says all the Fortune 500 companies have repeatedly been contacted about gay rights issues. "We send letters out to all of them," she says. "We send a whole packet of information to the [company's] diversity person. This year we're sending backups to the CEOs. We explain what the rating is and why these policies are good for business. They don't all answer us." Mills commended Lazin and others for augmenting HRC's efforts. "There are a lot of people who are out there doing this," she says. "It's great that they got these changes." |
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