Gannett Co., Inc. today announced the company received a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index (HRC CEI), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. Gannett joins the ranks of more than 840 major U.S. businesses that also earned top marks this year.
“It’s a great honor to receive this recognition for the fifth consecutive year,” said Gannett CEO Mike Reed. “Inclusion, Diversity and Equity are core foundational pillars at Gannett and this achievement recognizes our strong commitment to advancing an inclusive culture through our policies and actions.”
“We are very proud to receive a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index again this year,” said Samantha Howland, Gannett’s Chief People Officer. “The key to any company’s success is its employees and we are committed to further building and empowering an inclusive workforce that fully reflects all of the communities we serve.”
The results of the 2022 Corporate Equality Index showcase 1,271 U.S.-based companies promoting LGBTQ+-friendly workplace policies and 56% of CEI-rated companies with global operations are helping advance the cause of LGBTQ+ inclusion in workplaces abroad. Gannett’s efforts in satisfying all the HRC CEI’s criteria earned the Company a 100% ranking and the designation as one of the Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality.
“When the Human Rights Campaign Foundation created the Corporate Equality Index 20 years ago, we dreamed that LGBTQ+ workers—from the factory floor to corporate headquarters, in big cities and small towns—could have access to the policies and benefits needed to thrive and live life authentically,” said Jay Brown, Human Rights Campaign Senior Vice President of Programs, Research and Training. “We are proud that the Corporate Equality Index paved the way to that reality for countless LGBTQ+ workers in America and abroad. But there is still more to do, which is why we are raising the bar yet again to create more equitable workplaces and a better tomorrow for LGBTQ+ workers everywhere.”
The Corporate Equality Index rates employers providing these crucial protections to over 20 million U.S. workers and an additional 18 million abroad. Companies rated in the CEI include Fortune magazine’s 500 largest publicly traded businesses, American Lawyer magazine’s top 200 revenue-grossing law firms (AmLaw 200), and hundreds of publicly and privately held mid- to large-sized businesses.
The Corporate Equality Index rates companies on detailed criteria focused on four central pillars:
● Non-discrimination policies across business entities;
● Equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families;
● Supporting an inclusive culture; and,
● Corporate social responsibility.
The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.
