FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Staples, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPLS) today announced that it has received a score of 100 percent on the 2017 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a national benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation.
“Staples’ perfect score for the seventh year in a row is a testament to our deep commitment to an inclusive culture for our LGBTQ associates and the LGBTQ community at large,” said Erika Hopkins, Head of Inclusion & Diversity. “Staples recognizes how important it is to embrace diversity and support equality making us an employer of choice for LGBTQ job-seekers and their allies.”
The company supports a range of Associate Resource Groups (ARGs), a formal community of committed associates who support Staples business results, global diversity strategy, community involvement and associate engagement.
Staples’ Out At Work ARG, supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender associates, partners with local LGBTQ charities, volunteers at community events, and recently hosted the company’s annual National Coming Out Day that featured Maura Healey, the first openly-gay Attorney General in the U.S.
“As an ally supporting the LGBTQ community at Staples, I am especially proud to work for a company that promotes equality and a safe work environment for all,” said Paula Robertson, Sr. Export Compliance Specialist at Staples and Co-Chair of Out At Work. “It’s reassuring to know that our associates are respected and celebrated for their differences that create a diverse and innovative workplace.”
The 2017 CEI rated 1,043 businesses in the report, which evaluates LGBTQ-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs, and public engagement with the LGBTQ community. Staples’ efforts in satisfying all of the CEI’s criteria results in a 100 percent ranking and the designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality.
Please visit the company’s website for more information on Staples diversity practices.
For more information on the 2017 Corporate Equality Index, or to download a free copy of the report, visit www.hrc.org/cei.
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 Staples, Inc.
Staples helps small business customers
make more happen by providing a broad assortment of products, expanded
business services and easy ways to shop – in stores, online, via mobile
or through social apps. Staples Business Advantage, the
business-to-business division, caters to mid-market, commercial and
enterprise-sized customers by offering a one-source solution for the
products and services they need, combined with best-in-class customer
service, competitive pricing and a state-of-the-art ecommerce site.
Headquartered outside of Boston, Staples, Inc. operates throughout North
and South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. More
information about Staples (NASDAQ: SPLS) is available at www.staples.com.
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