ZEELAND, Mich. — The Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRC) named global design manufacturer Herman Miller, Inc. (NASDAQ:MLHR) among a select group of US companies to receive a perfect score on its 2021 Corporate Equality Index (CEI). This is Herman Miller’s 14th consecutive year with a 100% score on the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.
“At Herman Miller, we have long held the belief that everyone is extraordinary and deserves to bring their whole self to work," said Andi Owen, President and CEO of Herman Miller. "We have been very intentional in our inclusion of our LGBTQ+ team members, including extending benefits to domestic partners when it was not a common practice and before gay marriage was legally recognized in Michigan. We will continue to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community within our company and at the state and local level.”
Herman Miller has been a proud supporter of LGBTQ+ rights in Michigan including joining the Fair and Equal Michigan coalition of companies seeking to amend the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to include protections for the LGBTQ+ community. The company is also active in global Pride events and a supporter of DIFFA – the Design Industry Foundation Fighting AIDS.
The company also has an LGBTQ+ Equity Team, an employee resource group that advocates for LGBTQ+ employees in the workplace and works to promote Herman Miller’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts within its communities and the marketplace. The LGBTQ+ Equity Team helped develop the Eames Pride Hang-It-All, introduced in June 2020 that celebrates the LGBTQ+ community, and supports OutRight Action International, a global nonprofit organization with a mission of supporting human rights and fundamental freedoms for LGBTQ+ people everywhere.
“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. Herman Miller’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 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.
The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.
Press Contact
Mackenzie Rantala
Media_relations@hermanmiller.com
About Human Rights Campaign Foundation
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.
About Herman Miller
Herman Miller is a globally recognized leader in design. Since its inception in 1905, the company’s innovative, problem-solving designs and furnishings have inspired the best in people wherever they live, work, learn, heal, and play. In 2018, Herman Miller created Herman Miller Group, a purposefully selected, complementary family of brands that includes Colebrook Bosson Saunders, Design Within Reach, Geiger, HAY, Maars Living Walls, Maharam, naughtone, and Nemschoff. Guided by a shared purpose—design for the good of humankind—Herman Miller Group shapes places that matter for customers while contributing to a more equitable and sustainable future for all. For more information visit www.hermanmiller.com/about-us.