Dow Recognized Among “Best Places to Work” for LGBT Employees for 11th Consecutive Year
MIDLAND, Mich.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Recognizing its continued leadership of and commitment to lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights in the workplace, The Dow
Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) for the 11th consecutive year
has been honored by the Human
Rights Campaign (HRC) for achieving a 100 percent rating on its corporate
equality index (CEI) – a global benchmarking tool on corporate
policies and practices related to LGBT employees.
“An inclusive workplace, and for that matter a fully open and inclusive
society, is one that enables its citizens and families to thrive,
businesses to prosper and economies to grow,” said Howard Ungerleider,
Dow’s vice chairman and chief financial officer, and executive sponsor
for GLAD, Dow’s LGBT and ally employee resource group. “This recognition
by the HRC is a testament to Dow’s unwavering leadership in realizing
that ideal, and to our belief that inclusion is the true catalyst for
success.”
CEI is the first to rate global businesses on a worldwide consistency of
their non-discrimination and/or codes of conduct for personnel. This
year, more than 390 businesses worldwide earned a 100 percent ranking,
the highest number since the inception of the index in 2002. In 2005,
Dow became the first in its industry to receive a 100 percent score on
the CEI.
For more than a decade, Dow has offered best-in-class practices of LGBT
inclusion in the workplace including equal benefits to same-sex partners
for everything from health, dental and life insurance to bereavement
leave, relocation and dual career assistance. Dow also recognizes
survivor benefits for its pension plan for LGBT and provides full
transgender health benefits. The company takes a leading public policy
and advocacy position, speaking on Capitol Hill in support of LGBT
policies and leading state and federal lobbying activities to bring
fairness and equal treatment to all LGBT citizens.
Last month, Dow joined with major global companies including Google
Inc., AT&T and The Coca-Cola Company, and others in an HRC-led business
coalition to push for rights and protections in the workplace
globally, including in countries where LGBT individuals face legal
discrimination or harassment.
The company was also recently ranked by Amsterdam-based Workplace Pride
Foundation as one of the world’s Top-5 most LGBT-inclusive employers.
“The progress achieved has not come without hurdles and setbacks
however, and our work as a nation and a society is far from done,” added
Ungerleider. “Through courage and fortitude, we must continue to
relentlessly pursue a workplace and a society that welcomes and respects
everyone equally, and unequivocally.”
About Dow
Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines the power of science and technology to
passionately innovate what is essential to human progress. The Company
is driving innovations that extract value from the intersection of
chemical, physical and biological sciences to help address many of the
world’s most challenging problems such as the need for clean water,
clean energy generation and conservation, and increasing agricultural
productivity. Dow’s integrated, market driven, industry-leading
portfolio of specialty chemical, advanced materials, agrosciences and
plastics businesses delivers a broad range of technology-based products
and solutions to customers in approximately 180 countries and in
high-growth sectors such as packaging, electronics, water, coatings and
agriculture. In 2014, Dow had annual sales of more than $58 billion and
employed approximately 53,000 people worldwide. The Company’s more than
6,000 product families are manufactured at 201 sites in 35 countries
across the globe. References to “Dow” or the “Company” mean The Dow
Chemical Company and its consolidated subsidiaries unless otherwise
expressly noted. More information about Dow can be found at www.dow.com.
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affiliated company of Dow
Contacts
The Dow Chemical Company
Rachelle Schikorra, +1-989-638-4090
ryschikorra@dow.com
