Reed Smith LLP issued the following announcement on Jan. 28.
For the eighth consecutive year, Reed Smith has received a perfect score of 100 on the 2021 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
The 2021 CEI report evaluates businesses based on LGBTQ-related policies and practices across several metrics including non-discrimination policies, equitable benefits for LGBTQ workers and their families, supporting an inclusive culture and corporate social responsibility. This year, a record 767 major businesses — spanning nearly every industry and geography — earned a top score of 100 and the designation of being one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality.”
“We are honored to be recognized for the eighth consecutive year with a perfect 100 score on the HRC Corporate Equality Index,” said Alan York, partner chair of PRISM (Pride, Respect, and Inclusion Simply Matter), Reed Smith’s LGBT+ business inclusion group. “As rewarding as it is to receive these accolades, it is far more important what they represent. Reed Smith and all of its personnel dedicate themselves every day to creating a culture that is diverse, dynamic, and grounded in equality and inclusiveness.”
York concluded, “Living that reality every day as a part of the core of who we are means that we can all bring our true and authentic selves into the workplace, knowing that we will be supported and celebrated. And this achievement is certainly worthy of celebrating!”
“From the previously unimaginable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, to a long overdue reckoning with racial injustice, 2020 was an unprecedented year. Yet, many businesses across the nation stepped up and continued to prioritize and champion LGBTQ equality,” said Alphonso David, Human Rights Campaign President. “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 protecting their LGBTQ employees and consumers from discrimination is not just the right thing to do—but the best business decision.”
Original source can be found here.