2 firms’ LGBT scores perfect
Wal-Mart, Tyson net 100 on index
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Tyson Foods Inc. received perfect scores in a new report detailing how companies treat lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.
The Bentonville retailer and Springdale meat producer each earned scores of 100 in the Human Rights Campaign’s 2017 Corporate Equality Index, ranking ahead of the state’s other Fortune 500 companies. WalMart and Tyson were among 517 participating companies to achieve the maximum score in the index, which rates companies based on criteria such as nondiscriminatory policies, employment benefits, organizational competency and public commitment to LGBT issues.
The mark came a year after each fell short with Wal-Mart scoring 90 and Tyson 85.
“You don’t change organizational culture in a flash,” said Kendra Johnson, the state director of the Human Rights Campaign in Arkansas. “It’s an ongoing process. But what we’ve seen with Wal-Mart and Tyson is that this has become a priority for them.”
Each year, Fortune 1,000 companies are invited by
the Human Rights Campaign to participate in the survey. Those who participate are scored on the information they provide. Fortune 500 companies that do not participate are scored based on available public information.
Arkansas-based companies Dillard’s, J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc., Windstream and Murphy Oil did not participate in the survey, according to Human Rights Campaign data. Dillard’s, J.B. Hunt and Windstream each scored a 20 based on information that was available, while Murphy Oil scored 10.
Wal-Mart met 100 percent of the criteria in this year’s index after adding insurance coverage for transgender employees. The retailer received deductions for not covering some treatments — like hormone therapy and surgery — for transgender workers last year.
Johnson said the improvement is a sign that Wal-Mart, which employs more than 2 million people worldwide, has taken the model seriously over the past several years. Last Friday, the company announced that it had settled a lawsuit that accused the company of discriminating against gay and lesbian employees when it denied health insurance benefits to same-sex spouses during the three years before Jan. 1, 2014.
“At Walmart, ‘Respect for the Individual’ is one of the core beliefs that are the foundation of our company,” company spokesman Kevin Gardner said in an email. “We are committed to fostering an inclusive work environment for our more than 2 million associates around the globe.”
Like Wal-Mart, Tyson earned 10 additional points this year by adding transgender-inclusive health coverage. Tyson reached 100 also by adopting guidelines for philanthropic giving that align with their nondiscriminatory policies.
Tom Hayes, Tyson’s president and incoming CEO, said in a news release that “inclusion versus exclusion will continue to unlock the potential of our collectively unique and powerful team.” It was the second year Tyson has participated in the survey, according to data from the Human Rights Campaign.
“After they acquired Hillshire Farms, which had a better ranking, they embraced creating a safe and affirming workplace environment,” Johnson said. “So they have been on a fast track for implementation across the organization through that acquisition.”
The most significant progress across the 2017 index was the wide-scale adoption of transgender-inclusive initiatives, according to the Human Rights Campaign. Eighty-two percent of Fortune 500 companies have nondiscrimination protections that include gender identity. That is up from just 3 percent when the survey began in 2002.
“What that really is saying
is that these basic workplace protections of nondiscrimination in hiring, firing, promotion decision, these protections are really workplace standard today and standard business practice across our countries largest businesses,” said Beck Bailey, the Human Rights Campaign’s deputy director of employee engagement.
The 517 companies to achieve a score of 100 was a more than 25 percent improvement from last year and signaled the largest single-year increase in the index’s history.
While Bailey said the score represents an “exceptional year of growth” and shows a commitment to “laying all the required foundational pieces to build that vibrant culture upon,” plenty of work remains for businesses.
“These are the ways that we get towards that warm, welcoming atmosphere for everyone,” Bailey said. “But it’s an ongoing journey, as everyone in diversity and inclusion work would tell you.”