Arthur J. Gallagher has announced that it received a perfect score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2021 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), which rates corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality.
Gallagher is one of more than 767 major US businesses that earned top marks in this year’s index. It’s the third consecutive year that Gallagher has achieved a perfect score.
“We are honoured to once again be recognised by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index as one of the best places to work for LGBTQ equality,” said Susan Pietrucha, global chief human resources officer at Gallagher. “Gallagher knows the value of diversity, and we work to encourage it in a welcoming and supportive environment. This important honour recognises Gallagher’s longstanding commitment to a culture of inclusion that is our heritage.”
“Gallagher’s commitment to supporting the growth of diversity within our company and in the communities we serve is incredibly important,” said Chris Mead, global chief marketing officer. “We partner with organisations that share our values, including sponsoring the It Gets Better Project Digital Pride Experience to support LGBTQ+ youth, as well as Stonewall UK’s Rainbow Laces programme in partnership with Gallagher Premium Rugby to promote equality in sports. It is gratifying and humbling to receive this HRC recognition, acknowledging our dedication to inclusivity.”
The CEI rates employers providing diversity protections to more than 18 million US workers and an additional 17 million employees abroad. Companies rated in the CEI include Fortune magazine’s 500 largest publicly traded businesses, American Lawyer’s top 200 revenue-grossing law firms, and hundreds of publicly and privately held mid-sized and large businesses.
The CEI rates companies on criteria falling under four main categories:
“From the previously unimaginable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to a long-overdue reckoning with racial injustice, 2020 was an unprecedented year,” said Alphonso David, president of the Human Rights Campaign. “Yet many businesses across the nation stepped up and continued to prioritise and champion LGBTQ equality. This year has shown us that tools like the CEI are crucial in the work to increase equity and inclusion in the workplace, but also that companies must breathe life into these policies and practices in real and tangible ways. Thank you to the companies that understand that protecting their LGBTQ employees and consumers from discrimination is not just the right thing to do, but the best business decision.”
