Armstrong Teasdale issued the following announcement on Jan. 28.
Armstrong Teasdale has earned the highest possible score on the 2021 Corporate Equality Index, a national benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. This is the sixth year in a row that Armstrong Teasdale has earned a 100% score. The survey is administered by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation, the educational arm of America’s largest LGBTQ civil rights organization.
In alignment with Armstrong Teasdale’s strategic goals, the firm created a dedicated Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) department in 2020, and named Partner Meshach Rhoades the Chief Diversity Officer.
“In these unprecedented times, we are more committed than ever to inclusion in practice,” said Rhoades. “While we have consistently earned a 100% score, we know that this is an area of continuous improvement, and we are continuing to invest in diversity, equity and inclusion. Not only maintaining diversity, but also encouraging equity and belonging, is core to our firm’s values.”
Armstrong Teasdale joins the ranks of 767 major U.S. businesses that also earned top marks on the annual scorecard.
“From the previously unimaginable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, to a long overdue reckoning with racial injustice, 2020 was an unprecedented year. Yet, many businesses across the nation stepped up and continued to prioritize and champion LGBTQ equality,” said HRC President Alphonso David. “This year has shown us that tools like the CEI are crucial in the work to increase equity and inclusion in the workplace, but also that companies must breathe life into these policies and practices in real and tangible ways. Thank you to the companies that understand protecting their LGBTQ employees and consumers from discrimination is not just the right thing to do—but the best business decision.”
The 2021 CEI rated 1,142 U.S.-based companies in the report, which evaluates LGBTQ-related policies and practices under four central pillars: nondiscrimination policies across business entities; equitable benefits for LGBTQ workers and their families; supporting an inclusive culture; and corporate social responsibility. Armstrong Teasdale’s efforts in satisfying all of the CEI’s criteria have resulted in a 100% ranking and designation as one of the Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality.
Original source can be found here.