Rating Criteria (100 total points possible)

1. Non-discrimination policy, diversity training — sexual orientation
   1. Equal Employment Opportunity policy includes sexual orientation (15 points)
      [About equal employment opportunity policies]
   2. Diversity training covers sexual orientation (5 points)
      [Diversity programs]
2. Non-discrimination policy, diversity training & benefits — gender identity or expression
   1. Equal Employment Opportunity policy includes gender identity or expression (15 points)
      [About equal employment opportunity policies]
   2. Gender identity diversity training offered OR supportive gender transition guidelines in place* (5 points)
      [Diversity programs] [Gender transition guidelines]
   3. Insurance includes access for transitioning individuals for at least one category* (5 points)
      At least one: Counseling by a mental health professional; pharmacy benefits covering hormone therapy; medical visits to monitor the effects of hormone therapy and other associated lab procedures; medically necessary surgical procedures such as hysterectomy; or short-term disability leave for surgical procedures
      [Transgender wellness benefits]
3. Domestic partner benefits
   [Domestic partner benefits]
   1. Domestic partner health insurance (15 points)
   2. Domestic partner COBRA, dental, vision and legal dependent coverage* (5 points)
   3. Other domestic partner benefits* (5 points)
      At least three: FMLA-like leave†; bereavement leave†; employer-provided supplemental life insurance for a partner; relocation/travel assistance; adoption assistance; qualified joint and survivor annuity for domestic partners; qualified pre-retirement survivor annuity for domestic partners; retiree healthcare benefits; or employee discounts
4. LGBTQ+ employee resource group / diversity council, or (half credit) Would support a LGBTQ+ employee resource group with employer resources if employees expressed an interest (15 points)
   [Employee resource groups] [Diversity councils]
5. Engages in appropriate and respectful advertising and marketing or sponsors LGBTQ+ community events or organizations (15 points)
   [Marketing, sponsorship and philanthropy]
6. Responsible citizenship
   Employers will have 15 points deducted from their score or a large-scale official or public anti-LGBTQ+ blemish on their recent records.
   
   * Criterion was added to the Corporate Equality Index in 2006.
   † Benefit provided to the employee on behalf of the employee’s same-sex domestic partner.

Recognizing that many of the businesses rated in the HRC Corporate Equality Index employ thousands of employees that span most, if not all, of the 50 states, each business’s rating should be viewed as a snapshot of its activity. A CEI rating cannot convey all the nuances of a business’s particular approach to LGBTQ+ workplace issues.

The Evolution of the Criteria

The HRC Foundation is committed to maintaining rigorous, transparent and achievable criteria for the Corporate Equality Index and, just as importantly, providing the tools for employers to meet them. Changes to the criteria are made with input from expert LGBTQ+ workplace advocates and leaders at the most advanced firms, taking into consideration the changing landscape of legal protections for LGBTQ+ employees and their families from state to state.

• Why the rating system changes