San Diego companies picked as Best Places to Work

Sempra Energy and Qualcomm receive perfect scores on annual Corporate Equality Index

The Human Rights Campaign, the nation’s largest LGBT civil rights organization, has released its annual list of “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality.” This year, 337 companies were awarded this distinction for their employment policies and practices that include LGBT workers and their families, including two San Diego companies.

“With the amount of time people spend at work, having strong protections on the job make a real difference in the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese.

Sempra Energy and Qualcomm Inc. both scored 100 percent on the HRC Foundation’s 2011 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the primary method for businesses to benchmark and evaluate their policies, practices and diversity efforts relating to LGBT workers. The index evaluates non-discrimination policies, benefits, diversity training and other internal resources for LGBT workers, as well as external support for the LGBT community.

“Diversity plays an important role in our strengths as a business, employer and good corporate citizen,” said G. Joyce Rowland, senior vice president of human resources for Sempra Energy. “We are proud of our long-standing commitment to promote fairness and equality for our LGBT employees and to encourage a thriving environment for our diverse workforce.”

This is Sempra Energy’s third year receiving the national recognition, and Qualcomm’s first year. Other San Diego businesses on the 2011 CEI include ColdFusion Corp. with 75 percent, the law firm Luce Forward Hamilton and Scripps LLP with 85 percent and Sony Electronics Inc. with 95 percent.

Besides their rating on a national level, Sempra Energy and Qualcomm contribute to the local LGBT community. Both companies are donors to The LGBT Center, have been sponsors of San Diego Pride, and Sempra Energy has marched in the Pride Parade.

“San Diego-based Sempra Energy and Qualcomm are tremendous corporate community partners,” said The Center CEO Dr. Delores A. Jacobs. “We are deeply grateful for their continued support and their absolute dedication to community and to equality. San Diego is fortunate to have the corporate headquarters for such incredible corporate and philanthropic leaders located here.”

In a departure from previous CEI reports, this year HRC spotlighted those Fortune 500 companies that, after repeated invitations, have never responded to the annual CEI survey. Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) of San Diego received only a 30 percent acceptance rating based on publicly available information as well as information submitted to HRC from unofficial LGBT employee groups or individual employees.

When contacted for comment, Laura Luke, SAIC Vice President for Media Relations, responded, “Thanks for bringing the HRC survey to our attention. Our team will work with HRC to update the information for SAIC.”

Sempra Energy and Qualcomm, along with the 335 other top companies, will be honored March 23 at the Seventh Annual LGBT Workplace Awards Seminar and Reception hosted by Time Warner at the Time Warner Center in New York.