How many people in the LGBT community shop at the popular Uptown Shopping Center, home to Ralphs, Trader Joe’s, Starbucks and many other stores? How many people would change their shopping habits if they knew at least one of those stores has failed a national survey for LGBT workplace equality?
The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is trying to answer those questions with its annual Buying for Workplace Equality 2011, a guide of more than 800 companies with corresponding ratings based on their LGBT inclusion. Their survey evaluates whether a company has a non-discrimination hiring policy, company-provided domestic partner health insurance, sexual diversity training and more. Companies can fall into green, yellow and red categories depending on their score out of 100.
If a national company, for example Office Depot, which received a score of 45, is not in the green category, the HRC advocates LGBT shoppers to spend their dollars at Staples instead, which received a perfect score. The HRC proposes the loss of LGBT dollars over time will make a company rethink its workplace policies.
“For consumers who make purchasing decisions based on how a company treats their LGBT employees, the Buying for Workplace Equality guide is an essential tool,” said HRC President Joe Solmonese in a press release. “This is our community’s chance to vote with our dollars and send America’s businesses a clear message that equal treatment of LGBT employees is good for the bottom line.”
The HRC considers the billions of dollars LGBT shoppers put into the economy every year to be “buying power.” This buying power, if used consciously, can effect change by challenging how companies treat their LGBT employees.
Out of the national companies the HRC surveyed, several of them can be found in Hillcrest, North Park and other LGBT communities throughout San Diego.
The companies that fulfilled close to or all 11 workplace equality policies – and are listed in the green category – are Starbucks who received 100, Vons with 95 and Whole Foods with 85. Shell Oil, Arco, Chevron, CVS, Rite Aid and Target also appear in the green category.
Kroger, the parent company to Ralphs, appears in the yellow category, with a score of 75, along with Verizon, with a score of 70.
Other local stores dropped into the red category. Trader Joe’s only hit a 45, missing marks in sexual orientation diversity training, transgender wellness benefits and more. Also in the red category is Jack in the Box, Blockbuster, Chipotle, Wendy’s, RadioShack, Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, Michaels and Ace Hardware.
Stores that received the lowest rating, a zero, include Pep Boys and Exxon Mobil gas stations.
So would you stop going to Jack in the Box for those late night cravings if you knew you could be making an impact on how the company treats its LGBT employees? It’s a tough question. Before you answer it, understand the HRC has a disclaimer on its site that the data represents their “best efforts” and does not constitute legal advice, and as a result, there may be some discrepancies in the buying guide.
“Some of the measurements cited in this evaluation do not appear to reflect our actual practices,” said a Jack in the Box spokesman in an email to San Diego LGBT Weekly. “For example, in California, where the majority of our workforce lives, our employees have access to domestic partner health benefits, including dental and vision coverage, through our HMO plan. And we’re looking at possibly expanding those benefits in the future.”
Trader Joe’s also emailed San Diego LGBT Weekly about the inaccuracy of the report.
“Trader Joe’s policies do not allow discrimination or harassment based on sexual orientation,” a spokeswoman said. “In addition, we do extend all health benefits to same-sex domestic partners. We have addressed gender diversity on many levels and in our opinion are leaders in this area. Our crew is as diverse as our products. It is unfortunate that the information in this report does not clearly indicate the lack of research or one-sidedness of the information.”
The guide is available for download and viewing online at hrc.org/BuyersGuide.
