BCBSRI again receives a score of 100 in annual Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s assessment of LGBTQ+ workplace equality

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Dec. 5, 2023) – Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) received a top score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. 

BCBSRI joins the ranks of 545 major U.S. businesses that earned the Equality 100 Award: Leader in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion. BCBSRI is the only insurer in Rhode Island to receive the award and is the only company to attain a score of 100 for nine consecutive years. 

“We’re pleased to once again earn a top score on the Corporate Equality Index. It’s an extremely important yardstick of inclusion and equity for LGBTQ+ people in the workplace and our score reflects our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Each year, we use our results as a roadmap to improve benefits, education, policies, and practices across the company to better support LGBTQ+ employees," said Martha L. Wofford, president and CEO of BCBSRI.

Carolyn Belisle, BCBSRI managing director of corporate social responsibility, added, “The evolution of CEI criteria in 2023 allowed us to think critically about how we continue meet the ever-changing needs of the community. For example, we refreshed our annual training to include topics around sexual orientation and gender identity. We also examined and expanded our gender-affirming services benefit and created an LGBTQ+ benefits guide to assist employees with family formation resources, medical benefits, behavioral health resources, and sexual health services."

The results of the 2023-2024 CEI showcase how U.S.-based companies are promoting LGBTQ+ friendly workplace policies in the U.S. and abroad. The first year of the CEI included 319 participants, and the 2023-2024 CEI now includes 1,384 participants; further demonstrating the tremendous trajectory of the CEI, a record-breaking 1,340 businesses have non-discrimination protections specific to gender identity, up from just 17 in 2002. These critical non-discrimination protections cover 21 million employees in the United States and around the globe.

“For well over two decades, businesses have played an important role in furthering LGBTQ+ equality by centering employee needs and voices when it comes to workplace inclusion. While there is much more work to be done, year-over-year growth in CEI participation is evidence of a business community that recognizes the responsibility and value in upholding equity and inclusion," said RaShawn “Shawnie" Hawkins, Human Rights Campaign Sr. Director of Workplace Equality. 

“Our goal at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation is to work in a spirit of partnership with companies, providing educational resources and leading benchmarking, and collaborating on ways for businesses to support the LGBTQ+ community at a time when we face unprecedented legislative attacks, heightened anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and physical violence. The CEI is an ever-evolving tool – a blueprint that companies can use to show up more effectively in supporting their LGBTQ+ employees and their families."

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
• Corporate social responsibility

The CEI rates employers providing these crucial protections to over 20 million U.S. workers and an additional 18 million outside of the U.S. 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 full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.