Ninth Consecutive Year for LGBT Equality Award
What’s better than being the best? How about being named among the best nine times in a row?
MillerCoors is proud to be a “Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality” for the ninth consecutive year. That means we’ve scored 100 percent on the Human Rights Council’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI). The CEI is a national benchmarking tool that measures corporate commitment to equality, including non-discrimination policies and benefits packages that demonstrate fair treatment and compensation to millions of LGBT.
Nine years running doesn’t mean we’ve been checking the box here. In fact, we’ve been raising the bar. Every other year, the Human Rights Council changes what’s required to achieve 100 percent, such as adding benefits for transgender employees. This ongoing achievement is supported, in part, by the work of our employee resource groups. LAGER, for example (our LGBT and Allies Group Employees Resources) provides support to LGBT employees and allies to develop a safe and supportive workplace in which all employees are treated equally. They also develop volunteer programs. Additionally, our community partnerships play a key role in advancing our commitment to diversity inside our walls and beyond.
LGBT Equality with the MillerCoors Community
I had a chat with Doug Sanborn, manager of community commerce and partnerships, about the value of our latest LGBT equality recognition.
Raising the bar is no easy task. Why is this commitment so important?
Many companies had to step back and ask whether that was the right thing to do, and MillerCoors said “yes.” We are the only major brewer that has consistently achieved this designation. It takes a lot of commitment for companies to step up when the requirements change. I think this separates us from those who just want to say they support the cause.
This achievement is a testament to our commitment to diversity and inclusion. How are employee resource groups like LAGER helping to foster our journey toward making D&I a business advantage?
The Wisconsin LGBT Chamber of Commerce recently named MillerCoors their 2014 Partner of the Year for showing a commitment to diversity in the workplace and working to positively grow the LGBT and allied business community around the state. I think this continued recognition speaks to the impact we’re making.
Empowerment is critical. How are our partnerships helping to teach the value of diversity and inclusion?
MillerCoors works with Out and Equal which is a nonprofit workplace advocacy group that provides companies with educational tools and resources to create a safe and equitable workplace for LGBT employees. The support they provide helps LGBT employees and allies understand that the track we’re on is a journey, and we’re in this together.
With an ongoing ranking as a “Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality,” what type of message does this send to employees and consumers?
I would hope these achievements send the message that we don’t market to a community but we are a part of that community. It’s a journey and it’s very important for our LGBT employees and all employees to feel that they can bring their whole selves to work.