Giant Eagle Inc. recently received a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2021 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality.
Giant Eagle a food, fuel and pharmacy retailer and the parent company of GetGo Café + Market, which operates more than 260 locations throughout western Pennsylvania, Ohio, northern West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana. In total Giant Eagle operates more than 470 stores in the U.S.
“We are fiercely committed to creating an inclusive, equitable and diverse work environment where every one of our 34,000 team members feels welcome as a valued member of our family and we are extremely appreciative of this recognition by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation,” said Jeremy Shapira, Giant Eagle Chief Inclusion, Equity and Diversity Officer. “While our Corporate Equality Index score is evidence that we are progressing in the right direction, we invite and encourage our Team Members to share their unique perspectives and experiences to help us understand how we can continue to grow and better serve our LGBTQ community.”
Shapira added that Giant Eagle will be donating $20,000 to LGBTQ organizations across its markets in celebration of the CEI recognition and as part of the company’s ongoing dedication to supporting the health of LGBTQ communities. A $5,000 contribution will be made to the Hugh Lane Wellness Foundation in Pennsylvania, the Kaleidoscope Youth Center in Columbus, the Indiana Youth Group, and School of One at the LGBT Community Center of Greater Cleveland.
The CEI rates employers providing these crucial protections to over 18 million U.S. workers and an additional 17 million abroad. Companies rated in the CEI include Fortune magazine’s 500 largest publicly traded businesses, American Lawyer magazine’s top 200 revenue-grossing law firms (AmLaw 200), and hundreds of publicly and privately held mid- to large-sized businesses.
The CEI rates companies on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars:
- Non-discrimination policies across business entities;
- Equitable benefits for LGBTQ workers and their families;
- Supporting an inclusive culture; and,
- Corporate social responsibility.
“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 Alphonso David, Human Rights Campaign President. “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 results of the 2021 CEI showcase how 1,142 U.S.-based companies are not only promoting LGBTQ-friendly workplace policies in the U.S., but also for the 57% of CEI-rated companies with global operations who are helping advance the cause of LGBTQ inclusion in workplaces abroad. Giant Eagle’s efforts in satisfying all of the CEI’s criteria earned a 100 percent ranking and the designation as one of the Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality. The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.
