Staples, Inc. has received a score of 100 percent on the 2017 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation. This is the seventh year in a row Staples has earned 100 percent on the CEI. Staples participates in the promotional products industry as distributor Staples Promotional Products (PPAI 108945).
“Staples’ perfect score for the seventh year in a row is a testament to our deep commitment to an inclusive culture for our LGBTQ associates and the LGBTQ community at large,” says Erika Hopkins, head of inclusion and diversity. “Staples recognizes how important it is to embrace diversity and support equality, making us an employer of choice for LGBTQ job-seekers and their allies.”
The company supports a range of Associate Resource Groups (ARGs), a formal community of committed associates who support Staples business results, global diversity strategy, community involvement and associate engagement. Staples’ Out At Work ARG, supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender associates, partners with local LGBTQ charities, volunteers at community events and recently hosted the company’s annual National Coming Out Day that featured Maura Healey, the first openly-gay attorney general in the U.S.
“As an ally supporting the LGBTQ community at Staples, I am especially proud to work for a company that promotes equality and a safe work environment for all,” says Paula Robertson, senior export compliance specialist at Staples and co-chair of Out At Work. “It’s reassuring to know that our associates are respected and celebrated for their differences that create a diverse and innovative workplace.”
The 2017 CEI rated 1,043 businesses in the report, which evaluates LGBTQ-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs, and public engagement with the LGBTQ community. Staples’ efforts in satisfying all of the CEI’s criteria results in a 100-percent ranking and the designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality.
