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RCL was named a “2017 Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality” by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), one of the oldest gay and lesbian political action committees in the U.S., after scoring a perfect 100 on its Corporate Equality Index (CEI).
The index was launched in 2002 as a benchmarking tool for LGBT workplace equality in American companies. This year, for the first time since, the HRC required top-scoring companies to have a global non-discrimination policy or code of conduct that specifically prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
According to its website, “HRC raised the bar for a perfect score in the 2016 report to acknowledge the global scope of CEI-rated companies, and the imperative for fully-inclusive employee policies across operations worldwide.”
Specifically, the new CEI scorecard requires a business to have:
- A global non-discrimination policy or code of conduct that specifically prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.
- A requirement that suppliers and vendors also abide by the business’s own fully inclusive non-discrimination policy.
- A requirement that a top-rated business does not contribute funding to organizations with a written policy or mission of discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.
“All of the changes stem from one guiding principle – that discrimination has no place in a top-rated CEI business,” the HRC noted.
This is the second year running that RCL earned a perfect score on the CEI survey, even with the addition of the new global requirements. Also, in October Royal Caribbean International became the first and only cruiseline to be designated “Gay Travel Approved” by GayTravel.com.
A panel of experts, editors and tastemakers award the “Gay Travel Approved” Seal of Approval to travel companies that offer a safe and welcoming environment for LGBTQ travelers.