(CHICAGO) Katten announced today that the firm received a top score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 2023–2024 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation's foremost benchmarking report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.
"At Katten, we have made a concerted effort to build and foster an inclusive environment that values a diverse workforce, prioritizes equitable benefits and supports all our attorneys and business professionals," said Katten Chief Diversity Partner Leslie Minier. "We are proud that the culture here is one where we all feel welcome and respected."
The results of the 2023–2024 CEI showcase how US-based companies are promoting LGBTQ+-friendly workplace policies in the United States and abroad. Katten scored 100 out of 100 in meeting all the survey criteria to earn its designation as a 2023 "Equality 100 Award: Leader in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion."
Katten's LGBTQ+ Coalition, an affinity group, helps guide the firm in the implementation of inclusive programs, policies and practices. Among Katten's LGBTQ+-friendly workplace policies and benefits are transgender-inclusive health insurance coverage, inclusive health care benefits for same- and different-sex spouses and partners, and gender-neutral parental leave. Additionally, Katten has an "opt-in" gender pronoun policy and provides annual training on preventing discrimination and harassment and practicing allyship through bystander intervention, which covers gender identity and sexual orientation. The firm also hosts guest speakers during Pride Month as part of the firm's Perspectives Speaker Series, among other programming.
"The leadership at Katten fully embraces and supports the LGBTQ+ community and empowers the coalition to work toward its goals for recruiting, promoting and retaining LGBTQ+ attorneys at the firm," said partner Brandon D. Hadley, co-chair of Katten's LGBTQ+ Coalition. "The firm's ongoing efforts strengthen and further engage our community and truly matter."
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
"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," said RaShawn "Shawnie" Hawkins, Human Rights Campaign Sr. Director of Workplace Equality.
Companies rated in the CEI include Fortune magazine's 500 largest publicly traded businesses, American Lawyer magazine's top 200 revenue-grossing law firms, and hundreds of publicly and privately held mid- to large-sized businesses.
The full report is available online.
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. Through its programs, the HRC Foundation seeks to make transformational change in the everyday lives of LGBTQ+ people, shedding light on inequity and deepening the public's understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, with a clear focus on advancing transgender and racial justice. Its work has transformed the landscape for more than 15 million workers, 11 million students, 1 million clients in the adoption and foster care system and so much more. The HRC Foundation provides direct consultation and technical assistance to institutions and communities, driving the advancement of inclusive policies and practices; it builds the capacity of future leaders and allies through fellowship and training programs; and, with the firm belief that we are stronger working together, it forges partnerships with advocates in the United States and around the globe to increase our impact and shape the future of our work.
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