Just in time for the holiday shopping season, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has released the latest edition of “Buying for Workplace Equality,” a guide that rates hundreds of U.S. businesses based on their treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) employees.
Companies featured in the publication include those in the apparel and accessories, banking and finance, food and beverage, home and garden, restaurant and technology industries. Within each business sector, companies are divided into three categories—red, yellow and green—based on their score on HRC’s Corporate Equality Index.
A negative rating on the HRC’s Corporate Equality Index could have serious implications for the company. A recent study by Witeck-Combs/Harris Interactive found that seven out of 10 gay men and lesbians said they have switched products or service providers because they found out the company had engaged in actions that are perceived as harmful to the LGBT community. More than one in three have made a change in the past two years.
“As we embark on another holiday buying season without federal protections for LGBT workers, it is important that consumers know which businesses treat LGBT workers right,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese.
