HRC’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index lists nearly 50 from NJ (updated)

The 2022 Corporate Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation marks 20 years of benchmarking and reporting on company policies related to LGBTQ+ workplace equity.

In its first year, just 13 companies earned a top score of 100 in the CEI. For the 2022 report, that number reached a record 842 businesses employing 14.3 million workers, according to HRC.

A total of 47 New Jersey businesses were ranked with 31 earning perfect scores, 10 returning results in the 90s, and the remaining companies boasting numbers that range from 85 down to 30.

Many of those Garden State companies are marking consecutive years with perfect scores, like Camden-based Subaru of America Inc., which has garnered a 100 for six years running. Roseland’s ADP, meanwhile, has had a perfect score for 13 years.

“Here at ADP, we believe in creating an environment that’s supportive of each and every associate and their distinct contributions,” said Chief Diversity and Talent Officer Bob Lockett in a statement. “We continuously review our corporate policies and practices to align with the evolving needs of all associates and to give them the tools and support they need to succeed. We are proud to be recognized for our efforts in building such a culture at ADP.”

The CEI’s criteria has changed over the past two decades to match the ongoing conversation around inclusion. This year’s parameters fall under four central pillars: non-discrimination policies; equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families; supporting an inclusive culture; and corporate social responsibility.

HRC said its new criteria focus on expanding gender-affirming health care and workplace policies, ensuring equality in LGBTQ+ family formation benefit offerings, centering LGBTQ+ intersectionality through training and data collection best practices, and more.

According to the organization, findings from the 2022 CEI show 71% of Fortune 500 – and 91% of all CEI-rated companies – offer transgender-inclusive health insurance coverage. Back in 2002, that number was zero.

Among those Fortune 500 companies participating in the index, HRC said the average score is 94%, up from last year’s 92%.

Last week, Bloomberg released its 2022 Gender-Equality Index, which included seven companies from New Jersey, all but one of which – Princeton-based NRG Energy Inc. – also appear in the state’s list from the HRC.

Human Rights Campaign’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index: NJ companies and scores

Companies appear listed alphabetically

ADP – 100
American Express Global Business Travel – 100
American Water – 85
Avis Budget Group Inc. – 95
BASF Corp. – 100
Bayer U.S. LLC – 100
Becton, Dickinson and Co. – 100
Burlington Stores Inc. – 90
Campbell Soup Co. – 90
Celgene Corp. – 100
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp. – 100
Conduent Inc. – 100
Crum & Forster – 95
Day Pitney LLP – 100
Dun & Bradstreet Corp. – 100
Firmenich Inc. – 80
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey – 100
John Wiley & Sons Inc. – 100
Johnson & Johnson – 100
Lord, Abbett & Co. LLC – 100
Mars Inc. – 100
Mathematica Policy Research – 95
McCarter & English LLP – 85
Merck – 100
Munich-American Holding Corp. – 75
Nestle Health Science – 100
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. – 100
Novo Nordisk Inc. – 95
Pearson – 90
Prudential Financial Inc. – 100
Public Service Enterprise Group – 90
Quest Diagnostics Inc. – 100
Realogy Holdings Corp. – 90
Reckitt – 95
Samsung Electronics America Inc. – 100
Sanofi – 100
Selective Insurance Group – 80
SHI International Corp. – 30
SPARC Group LLC – 100
Subaru of America Inc. – 100
TD Bank NA – 100
Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc. – 100
Unilever – 100
Wipro Ltd. – 100
WithumSmith+Brown PC – 100
Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Inc. – 100
Zoetis Inc. – 100

Editor’s note: This story was updated at 9:42 p.m. EST on Jan. 31, 2022, to say that seven, not eight, New Jersey companies appeared on Bloomberg’s 2022 Gender-Equality Index.