Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (Bridgestone), the largest subsidiary of the world’s largest tire and rubber company, recently received a score of 90 on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a premier benchmarking survey and report on U.S. corporate policies and practices relating to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation. Bridgestone’s score reflects a continued commitment to LGBTQ workplace equality, with respect to tangible policies, benefits, and practices.
In 2018, Bridgestone launched a number of achievements that helped boost its CEI 2019 score over previous years. Some of these efforts included the implementation of a Global Human Rights Policy, and a Sustainable Procurement Policy that align with the company’s overall corporate social responsibility mission, Our Way to Serve. Additional initiatives included establishing a Diversity & Inclusion Steering Committee, and the approval of a new, Nashville-based employee resource group, BPROUD, which focuses on supporting LGBTQ employees and allies. The company also has a history of supporting the HRC through its presenting sponsorship of the annual Nashville HRC gala for 12 consecutive years.
“As a company, we’re committed to making our workplaces as diverse as the customers we serve – both locally in Nashville, and across the U.S.,” said Susie Long, Vice President of Talent Management & Development for Bridgestone Americas. “We are proud of the progress we’ve made – and will continue to make – toward this commitment and I believe our 2019 CEI score reflects that.”
The 2019 CEI 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. For more information on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index, or to download a copy of the report, visit www.hrc.org/cei.
