The Human Rights Campaign Foundation Recognizes Chilean Companies Dedicated to LGBTQ Workplace Inclusion

by Aryn Fields •

A Record-Breaking 96 Employers Participated in the Third ‘HRC Equidad CL’ Report

WASHINGTON — Today, The Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC), the educational arm of the nation’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) civil rights organization, in partnership with Fundación Iguales, is releasing its third annual ‘HRC Equidad CL: Global Workplace Equality Program.’ This program is the leading South American benchmarking survey and report recognizing employers in Chile (CL) who have demonstrated a commitment to LGBTQ equality by adopting crucial LGBTQ-inclusive policies and practices for their employees.

Over the past three years, HRC Equidad CL has moved the needle to create better and more inclusive workplaces for LGBTQ employees in Chile,” said Alphonso David, Human Rights Campaign President. “Business leaders know that building an LGBTQ-inclusive workplace is not just the right decision—it is the best business decision—allowing companies to maximize their market opportunities and the attraction, retention and engagement of top talent. Their commitment and hard work positively impacts the daily lives of thousands of employees and families, while also transforming society at large.

Alphonso David, Human Rights Campaign President

The Chilean-based survey, inspired by the Human Rights Campaign’s annual Corporate Equality Index (CEI), is HRC’s first in-country program in South America and the second in Latin America, following the success of HRC Equidad MX in Mexico. This year, a landmark 96 companies participated in the survey, which tripled the amount of corporate engagement since its inaugural edition, and recognized 28 businesses with the HRC’s Foundations designation of “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality” or “Mejores Lugares para Trabajar LGBT.” To see the full list of honorees click here.

The companies on this year’s HRC Equidad CL are not only establishing policies that affirm and support employees here in Chile, they are creating a new standard for LGBTQ inclusion that will reverberate across South America. We are proud to have developed so many strong partnerships with corporate allies who see LGBTQ equality as a crucial issue for our country and for their businesses.

Emilio Maldonado, HRC Equidad CL Implementing Partner and Representative of Fundacion Iguales

Being one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality” in Chile this year is a true source of pride for our teams. We are convinced that having respectful workplaces that are free of discrimination is essential for our employees to be their authentic selves and maximize their potential. We want to always be one of the best places to work for the LGBTQ community, we always want to attract and retain them. In Paris, we are committed to a better world and that involves all the communities we interact with. There is a lot more work remaining, and we are committed to that work—we share this pride with our entire Paris family.

Carolina Weldt, Human Resources Manager at Department Store, Cencosud Chile

Altogether the top-scoring businesses employ 107,438 workers nationwide and the total of participating companies employ 247,886 workers. Of all participating companies, 73 percent have a policy protecting sexual orientation and 72 percent protect gender identity, and 55 percent have a specific LGBTQ employee resource group (ERG). In its inaugural year, 31 companies undertook the survey and 15 of them earned the HRC’s Foundation designation—last year, that number jumped to 20 top scorers and 63 participating companies.

Through its CEI and partnerships with local organizations, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation is leading the advancement of LGBTQ workplace inclusion and equality across the U.S., Mexico and Chile impacting more than 30.6 million employees worldwide.

The 2021 HRC Equidad CL report evaluated Chilean businesses and corporations based on three core pillars of LGBTQ workplace inclusion:

  • Adoption of nondiscrimination policies;
  • Creation of employee resource groups or diversity and inclusion councils;
  • Engagement in public activities to support LGBTQ inclusion.

Since the program’s inception, and in collaboration with Pride Connection, HRC Equidad CL has become the leading tool among major employers to assess and promote best LGBTQ-inclusive workplaces across Chile. In 2018, the HRC Foundation kicked off its groundbreaking partnership with Fundación Iguales, Chile's largest LGBTQ advocacy group, to promote LGBTQ inclusion among major business and U.S. multinationals in Chile through HRC Equidad CL: Global Workplace Equality Program.

The Human Rights Campaign reports on news, events and resources of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation that are of interest to the general public and further our common mission to support the LGBTQ community.

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Topics:
Workplace
Global