Let’s face it, if you work for a corporation, there is always the dance around whether to come out or not. And, since it is basically legal to fire someone simply for being a lesbian, it is all the more important to make sure the company you decide to work for has policies and benefits that help you get the equal treatment you deserve. The HRC’s annual Corporate Equality Index was just released today and it rates top American businesses on how they are treating gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, consumers and investors. You can learn about the index and read the 2006 Corporate Equality Index in its entirety by downloading it.

Some key points from their press release include:

In all of the policy and benefits areas that were measured, the report reveals double-digit increases in the number of companies adhering to the criteria. Among the companies surveyed in the new report, this year:

• 75 percent more companies than in 2005 prohibited discrimination against transgender employees in employment practices;
• 64 percent more companies than in 2005 implemented at least one wellness benefit for transgender employees;
• 35 percent more companies than in 2005 extended COBRA, vision, dental and dependent medical coverage to employees’ same-sex domestic partners; and
• 14 percent more companies than in 2005 engaged in philanthropic or marketing activities directed toward the GLBT community.

Almost all of the companies rated — 436, or 98 percent — include sexual orientation in their non-discrimination polices.

This indeed is good news for employees and consumers alike. As someone who has been in the corporate halls a decade or so too long, I know firsthand that what is in the policy and how things actually happen aren’t always aligned. BUT, if you have benefits and protections in writing it greatly reduces the chances that you might experience discrimination or difficulties because of your sexual orientation and it gives you a fallback to dispute any violations that might occur. Not to mention it is simply a relief to be able to cover your long term domestic partner for medical and other benefits (even if the IRS remains discriminatory and taxes you to death on the “value” of the benefit).

Here’s to sure progress forward in terms of equality and the ability to be your authentic self on the job. Happy reading….

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