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Miller Knoll Receives Top Score on Corporate Equality Index

December 13, 2023  by HFBusiness Staff in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry   

HRC's Corporate Equality Index is the nation's foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. MillerKnoll is joined by only 545 U.S. businesses earning top marks this year.

"MillerKnoll has a history of setting the pace for workplace equality with programs to support our associates, but with this year's extended metrics and measurements, our CEI 100 score is even more meaningful," said Andi Owen, President and CEO of MillerKnoll.

"Inclusion and belonging are key components in the experiences we design. We're proud to have received such recognition and look forward to advancing these programs as a team."

For the past 15 consecutive years, Herman Miller has received a top score from HRC. Now, as Herman Miller has been renamed MillerKnoll, the company continues its top score.

Over the past two years, HRC completed a full assessment and review of the survey, increasing the standard significantly for companies to achieve a score of 100. Changes to the survey included: greater documentation required and a higher level of scrutiny of submitted documentation; an increase in activity requirements; more nuanced questions; higher percentage points for benefits; and a new stand-alone section on Corporate Social Responsibility.

MillerKnoll supports several nonprofit organizations serving to foster community and advance rights for LGBTQ+ individuals. During Pride Month in 2022, MillerKnoll partnered with organizations around the world including OutRight Action International, Hetrick-Martin Institute, Lambert House, New Avenues for Youth, London Friend, Casa Frida Refugio LGBT+, and more.

Employees can join the LGBTQ+ Business Resource Group (BRG), advocating for LGBTQ+ employees and allies in the workplace, and work with other groups to identify and break down inequitable systems that limit the success of others, so everyone has opportunities to grow and prosper.

Further Details about HRC's Corporate Equality Index (CEI):
The CEI rates employers providing these crucial protections to over 20 million U.S. workers and an additional 18 million outside of the U.S. 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 results of the 2023-2024 CEI showcase how U.S.-based companies are promoting LGBTQ+ friendly workplace policies in the U.S. and abroad. The first year of the CEI included 319 participants, and the 2023-2024 CEI now includes 1,384 participants; further demonstrating the tremendous trajectory of the CEI, a record-breaking 1,340 businesses have non-discrimination protections specific to gender identity, up from just 17 in 2002.

According to HRC, these critical non-discrimination protections cover 21 million employees in the U.S. and around the globe. MillerKnoll's efforts in satisfying all the CEI's criteria earned a score of 100 and the designation as recipient of the Equality 100 Award: Leader in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion.

HRC's full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei. Additional information on MillerKnoll's Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiatives can be found here.