Record Number of Businesses Earn Perfect 100 on HRC Corporate Equality Index

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) has released its 2020 Corporate Equality Index, and a record-high 686 businesses and law firms earned a perfect 100.

Atlanta-based companies that received a perfect 100 include Coca-Cola, Cox Enterprises, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, InterContinental Hotels Group Americas, SunTrust Banks, and United Parcel Service.

HRC rates companies on criteria in four categories: non-discrimination policies, employment benefits, responsible citizenship, and supporting an LGBTQ-inclusive culture.

The 18th annual report reflected some significant advances in transgender and gender non-conforming equality in the workplace. As of 2019, 91 percent of Fortune 500 companies and 98 percent of all companies investigated by HRC have explicit gender identity nondiscrimination protections in company policy. This is up from 3 percent and 5 percent, respectively, in 2002, the first year HRC conducted the survey.

65 percent of the Fortune 500 and 89 percent of all CEI participants offer transgender-inclusive healthcare coverage as well, up from zero in 2002. 100 new employers offer coverage in the 2020 report.

More than 260 of top businesses—191 top score-earners—are also corporate supporters of the Equality Act.

“These companies know that protecting their LGBTQ employees and customers from discrimination is not just the right thing to do—it is also the best business decision,” said HRC President Alphonso David in a statement. “In addition, many of these leaders are also advocating for the LGBTQ community and equality under the law in the public sphere.”