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Welcome to the 2010 International Business Equality Index

Does your corporation want to participate?
Please complete the corporate registration form

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IMPORTANT DATES

Deadline to submit the survey

Online survey
May 15, 2010

Press conference

Official international announcement of the Index results
June 10, 2010
Bimhuis, Amsterdam

Gala Dinner

Celebration of international LGBT diversity and equality in business
June 11, 2010
Sofitel Amsterdam The Grand, Amsterdam 

Index Seminar

Colloquium about Index results and LGBT equality in business
September 23, 2010
BT Tower - London, England 

 

Download the 2010 International Business Equality Index Brochure   English  Français  Español  Deutsch  Italiano

INTRODUCTION

Workplace equality for LGBT people is the foundation of the IGLCC’s International Business Equality Index. It was inspired by the profound change in corporations that has followed the introduction of the Corporate Equality Index in 2002 and the Workplace Equality Index in 2005. The International Business Equality Index is a tool that asks major international corporations to be accountable for fair and equal workplace policies and practices. The Index encompasses all aspects of business from discrimination-free employment in a safe environment to participation in supply chain distribution that includes LGBT vendors.

But this is not a tool created to benefit only the global LGBT community. It will benefit business as well. The Index allows corporations to assess their own progress in hiring and retaining qualified employees, finding diverse suppliers and tapping into the lucrative and often unexplored LGBT market segment.

The IGLCC board and staff share a vision: that every corporation will ultimately work to be the most LGBT-friendly business organization in the world. And beyond that, we at IGLCC are committed to help them achieve that goal.

The underlying intent of the Index was at its creation, and still is, to challenge leading global corporations to improve their diversity programmes specifically in relation to the inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees, suppliers and consumers.

The Index allows businesses to measure and compare the effectiveness of their internal and external LGBT diversity activities across countries while comparing their progress relative to competitors. This information enables a strategic and consistent approach to improving diversity performance throughout the company.

As an additional service, IGLCC, in cooperation with its international network in fifteen countries, will assist participating businesses in analyzing the findings and putting in place strategies in response to the Index outcome.

 

Download the 2010 International Business Equality Index Brochure: English  Français  Español  Deutsch   Italiano

BENEFITS

By participating in the Index your corporation gets many benefits:

  • A measure of how well your organization is performing in every country, relative to other companies in the same industry1 and other countries in which you operate
  • A detailed analysis of the impact of your polices relative to specific participating competitors in particular markets and globally2
  • Comprehensive assessment to enhance global practices and policies
  • Attendance at the annual Index seminar providing an opportunity to discuss practices and policies with other participating companies and expert presenters and panelists
  • Worldwide visibility
  • International recognition in leadership
  • Increased presence in the LGBT market segment

 

Most LGBT Friendly Corporation in the world

All companies participating in the Index will be entitled to tag communication and marketing materials with the 2010 Index Seal (“2010 Most LGBT Friendly Corporations in the World”) attesting to their leadership in global diversity.

Top 5 Most LGBT Friendly Corporations in the world

Additionally, corporations in the top five globally or in any country will be permitted use of the Index Top 5 Recognition Seal (recognized as one of the “2010 Top 5 Most LGBT friendly corporations in the World”) or the Restricted Top 5 Recognition Seal (recognized as one of the “2010 Top 5 most LGBT friendly corporations in [country]”).

 

Download the 2010 International Business Equality Index Brochure: English  Français  Español  Deutsch  Italiano

 

1 Specific industry information is not released for countries or in situations where releasing this information would compromise the confidentiality of any participating company

2 Participating IGLCC members and companies that have requested this additional report

COMMITTEE

The international committee in charge of this unique initiative to promote diversity in the business world includes gay, lesbian and transgender professionals that live and work in eight different European and North American countries. 

Members of the 2010 International Business Equality Index Committee:

Committee chair:

  • David Pollard, Vice-Chairman  – Company Pride Platform (the Netherlands)

Committee members:

  • Silvan Agius, Police Director - ILGA Europe (Belgium)
  • Stephen Barris, Communications Officer - ILGA World (Belgium)
  • Angelo Caltagirone, President - EGMA (Switzerland)
  • Lenna Cumberbatch,  Gingerbeer Webguide (United Kingdom)
  • Irwin Drucker, Program Director, GLBT & International Programs - IBM (United States)
  • Marion Gross, Member – WyberNet (Switzerland)
  • Albert Kehrer, National Board Member – Völklinger Kreis (Germany) 
  • Pascal Lépine, Secretary General – IGLCC (Canada)
  • César Maschmann, Director of Communications & Member Services – IGLCC (Canada)
  • Paul Overdijk, Director Strategy - TNT (the Netherlands)
  • Geoffrey Ross, National Board Member - L'Autre Cercle (France)
  • Jean-Luc Vey, Business Manager - PrOut@Work (Germany)
  • Persia West, A place at the table (United Kingdom)
  • Manfred Wondrak, President – AGPRO (Austria)

Thanks to their participation and common understanding of the many realities of the business world, all partners bring a global vision to the table. This includes corporate, community and social aspects of today’s changing world, making this a truly international and interdisciplinary Index.

 

Download the 2010 International Business Equality Index Brochure: English  Français  Español  Deutsch  Italiano

PROCEDURE

The following steps are required for corporations to complete the survey.

Corporations who intend to participate in the International Business Equality Index must have offices in at least three (3) countries and have more than ten thousand (10.000) employees OR have offices in more than ten (10) countries and at least five thousand (5.000) employees.

  1. The corporation registers its profile containing contact information and business description on the IGLCC website.
  2. Once the profile is created, the corporation can print the survey and prepare the answers.
  3. When all the answers are gathered, the corporation accesses the IGLCC website, logs in with its personal user name and password and proceeds to answer the 17 questions of the survey.
  4. Each corporation has the option to submit documentation that validates each answer.
  5. Once all questions have been answered the last step for the corporation is to submit the survey.
  6. The deadline to submit the answers to the survey is on May 15th 2010.
  7. The publication of the second Index report will be done in a press conference on June 10th, 2010 during the 3rd Annual Congress of the IGLCC in Amsterdam, Holland.

The IGLCC performs the following steps and services in the survey process:

  • Provision of assistance to all participants to help understand and complete the registration and answer the survey.
  • Verification and compilation of the data submitted by the corporations.
  • Preparation of reports, classification of the data and publication of the Index report.

Once the profile is created, the corporation can print the survey and prepare the answers (télécharger la version française du questionnaire).

 

Download the 2010 International Business Equality Index Brochure: English  Français  Español  Deutsch  Italiano

METHODOLOGY

To be eligible a corporation must have offices in at least three (3) countries and have more than ten thousand (10.000) employees OR have offices in more than ten (10) countries and at least five thousand (5.000) employees.

The evaluation of the Index’s survey is based on a 100% rating. This model with its 17 questions has been divided into 4 sections, which are:

  • Diversity & Inclusion (22.5% - 4 questions)
  • Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Policies and Practices (60% - 8 questions)
  • Supplier Diversity and Marketing (2.5% - 2 questions)
  • Community Involvement (15% - 3 questions)

Questions in each of the sections above will be weighted according to that section's weighting points. The determination of the final rating for each corporation will be the total percentage received in the 4 sections. The evaluation criteria will remain invariable, independently of the size of the corporation or its industry.

UPDATE ON METHODOLOGY FOR 2010

Percentage

The 2010 Index methodology has been updated in reference to the percentages attributed to two of its four sections. In 2010 the percentage attributed to the four questions in Diversity & Inclusion has been increased by 2.5% from 20% to 22.5% as well as the percentage for the two questions from Supplier Diversity that has been reduced from 5% to 2.5%. The other two sections remain unchanged.

Bonus

Since we wanted to recognize the fact that certain corporations go the extra mile and enforce their policies and practices even in countries where homosexuality is punishable by law, the committee has agreed to create a bonus criteria to that effect. For the purpose of accuracy and fairness, such list of countries was obtained from the ILGA map.

No deductions or penalties will be imposed on companies who do not yet offer these practices and policies in the countries where homosexuality is still punishable by law.

Presentation of results

A top 50 list will be unveiled with their ranking but without their percentages.

Also a top 5 list will be assembled with the participants’ names, rankings and final scoring.

In 2010 a report by Industry and a report by Country will also be presented.

 

Download the 2010 International Business Equality Index Brochure: English  Français  Español  Deutsch  Italiano

Q & A

  1. What is the Index?
  2. Where did the idea for the Index come from?
  3. Are there any other indexes like this one?
  4. How does the International Business Equality Index relate to the HRC Index in the US and the Stonewall Index in the UK?
  5. How does the Index work?
  6. Who can be part of the Index?
  7. How does my corporation stand to benefit from participating in the Index?
  8. What types of information will be gathered for the Index?
  9. What information about my corporation will be made public?
  10. How will the Index compare corporations of different sizes and working in different industries?
  11. How the results will be presented?
  12. What is the methodology applied to the data?
  13. What organizations were involved in the creation of the project?
  14. How much will it cost my corporation to be listed in the index?
  15. Why is there a need for this International Index?
  16. Who will be affected by the existence of this Index?
  17. What is the single most important aspect of the Index?
  18. What are the challenges involved in implementing such a project at the international level?
  19. How many corporations do you expect to be part of the Index this year?
  20. Can my corporation participate if it is big enough (more than 10,000 employees) but is not present in more than one country?
  21. What are the objectives of the Index?
  22. Who do I contact for more information on the Index?
  23. Do I have to be member of the IGLCC to participate in the Index?
  24. Will the Index be used to influence government policies and practices?
  25. How will you validate the responses given by participants?
  26. Will the corporations that have a member on the organizing committee of the Index have any kind of competitive advantage?
  27. Given that this is a business equality Index, has the human rights dimension been considered at any level?
  28. Is the IGLCC the right organization to carry out this Index?
  29. What period is under review in the current Index and how often will the Index be updated?
  30. What’s the goal in offering a bonus to corporations who enforce their policies and practices in countries where homosexuality is punishable by law?
  31. Does this mean that the corporations who do not enforce their policies and practices in these countries will be penalized?
  32. In which basis is the bonus calculated?
  33. Who were the top performers on last year’s Index?
  34. Have you seen any results from the first edition of the Index?

  1. It is a global Index measuring how major corporations include in their policies and practices the main issues relevant to the LGBT community today. It considers how corporations work with employees, suppliers and consumers alike.

  2. At its 2007 Global Summit in Barcelona, the IGLCC, along with EGMA and ING, initiated discussions around the idea of creating the Index. From there we reached out to other corporations and international organizations, including the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA), ILGA Europe, PrOut@Work, TNT and IBM

  3. This is the only international index to deal with LGBT issues. There are national indexes in the USA (HRC) and in the United Kingdom (Stonewall).

  4. The scope of this index is international. We studied both the US and the UK models and took certain aspects into consideration, adapting them to reflect our international perspective. The Index also places a certain emphasis on supplier diversity and marketing. 

  5. Corporations are invited to respond to an online survey. The IGLCC then compiles, processes and classifies the data and publishes the Index report with its results and major findings.

  6. Corporations that are present in at least three (3) countries and have more than ten thousand (10,000) employees OR corporations who have offices in more than ten (10) countries and at least five thousand (5.000) employees can be part of the Index.

  7. Participation demonstrates your corporation’s engagement with the LGBT community and its members. It also provides your corporation with a tool for generating internal measurements and comparisons to identify areas and countries where corporate policies and practices need to and can be adjusted.  Likewise, your corporation can use the Index to identify external measurements revealing what and how the competition in you industry is doing on LGBT issues.

  8. Corporations will be asked to respond to a series of questions regarding each of the countries in which they are present. These questions fall into four (4) sections and cover the following issues: Diversity & Inclusion, Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity Policies and Practices, Supplier Diversity & Marketing and Community Involvement.

  9. Only the rating (% points) for each of the four (4) sections will be made public for the top 5 scoring corporations.

  10. The Index will offer a general ranking that will group all corporations together, as well as specific rankings by industry. It is important to note, however, that the criteria will remain the same for all corporations, regardless of their size and the industry in which they are active.

  11. The results are compiled in a comprehensive overview outlining the macro findings of the Index and announced during a press conference to which all participating companies are invited. A major networking event follows the press conference.
    Individual participating companies are invited to attend the press conference at which time they are provided with a confidential report on their performance as a company. Detailed reports are subsequently sent to participating IGLCC members and other companies that have requested this additional service.

  12. The evaluation of the Index’s survey is based on a 100% rating. The survey includes 17 questions divided into 4 sections, each of which is assigned a total percentage value.
    Each question in the four sections will be weighted according to a point’s criterion. The determination of the final rating for each corporation will be the total percentage received on the four sections.
    The same evaluation criteria are applied in all cases, regardless of the size of the corporation or the industry in which it is active.

  13. The IGLCC works in partnership with individuals from the following LGBT organizations and corporations to sit on its committee: IBM, TNT, PrOut@Work, ILGA, ILGA-Europe, EGMA and AGPRO. Thanks to their participation, expertise and common understanding of the many realities of the business world, all partners bring a global vision to the table. This includes corporate, community and social aspects of today’s changing world, making this a truly international and interdisciplinary Index. 

  14. Participation in the IBEI is free. In return for participation, corporations are provided with a custom report, showing their performance on each of the survey’s questions and a comparison to global averages. Participating IGLCC corporate members receive a more detailed report, helping them to better assess their performance by making available comparative data on a country or an industry basis. This report is also available to non-member participants for a fee of €1500.

  15. There are many variations in the way corporations engage with LGBT issues in the various countries in which they are active and at different levels. Often, corporations only invest in LGBT issues in the country in which they are headquartered. The Index will create a benchmark for all corporations and thereby serve as a catalyst for social change through the advancement of diversity in the business world.

  16. Firstly, LGBT employees, as the Index has the potential to positively affect their quality of life at work. Secondly, suppliers, for whom the Index will identify many new business opportunities. And last but not least, consumers, who will be able to identify products for their specific needs and enjoy self-recognition in marketing campaigns.

  17. Its international dimension is certainly the key feature of the Index. The fact that it covers the business world in its entirety, and not only employees, suppliers or consumers, gives it greater depth as well.

  18. The biggest challenge is probably making the Index known internationally and have it referred to as the key benchmark for inclusion and support of LGBT employees in workplaces. Additional challenges include helping corporations understand its importance and having them participate.

  19. We expect between 30 and 50 corporations this year. Counting with the original 15 participants in 2009, our hope is to at least double it. We are in contact with many more corporations and hope to have them signed up as well in the very near future.  Invitations to participate have also been sent, along with the surveys, to the Forbes 2000 list of corporations. 

  20. Yes. We encourage all large corporations to participate. Although your corporation will not be included in the general ranking, it will be included in the specific ranking for the country in which it is located.

  21. There are basically three (3) objectives:

    a) Provide leading corporations with a tool to analyze and evaluate how they are performing worldwide in terms of policies and practices regarding their LGBT employees, suppliers and consumers. 

    b) Create a benchmark for corporations to enhance existing LGBT policies and practices and create new ones to advance diversity in the business world.

    c) Show the LGBT community which corporations are leading the way internationally in commitment to their LGBT employees, suppliers and consumers, and in so doing serve as models for all other corporations.

  22. You can contact the IGLCC and speak to César Maschmann by phone (514) 287-2888 ext: 221 or by e-mail cesar.maschmann@iglcc.org

  23. No. However, membership does allow you to benefit from IGLCC expertise in helping your corporation excel on LGBT policies and practices.

  24. Although the Index is designed primarily for corporations, the IGLCC believes that the efforts of some corporations to give equal treatment to their employees, suppliers and customers in certain countries may indirectly help governments change their own policies and practices.

  25. We will invite participants to provide validation data with their responses. This time around we will limit ourselves to verifying the information provided by the 10 top-ranking corporations.

  26. No, scoring will remain totally impartial. Only IGLCC staff will have access to the data. Furthermore, the calculations are done automatically to keep the results impartial and just.

  27. All efforts have been made to ensure that the questions address the needs and experiences of the LGBT community. To do so effectively, we have been working with two of the largest LGBT organizations in the world: ILGA (more than 600 member organizations in 90 countries in all continents) and ILGA-Europe (more than 220 member organizations from across Europe).

  28. Yes. We represent LGBT business organizations throughout the world end enjoy the confidence of our members and partners, as well as that of organizations such ILGA and ILGA-Europe, which enjoys ECOSOC status at the UN.

  29. The Index will review the period of January to December 2009. In future, the Index will be updated on a yearly basis.

  30. The objective of the bonus is to recognize their efforts in promoting equality in business even within difficult situations in such countries. 

  31. No, it does not. The bonus criteria gives a small percentage to those who enforce them, but it does not take any away from those who do not. Ultimately we want to highlight the fact that changes are possible and that certain corporations are taking the lead in these countries. 

  32. The bonus is applied only for the answers where the corporation indicates that the policy is enforced and in the countries where homosexuality is punished by law. The list of such countries was obtained from the ILGA map.

  33. The top 3 corporations were respectively BT, IBM Corporation and The Dow Chemical Corporation

  34. Yes, many of the participants have already started to study important changes and even started implementing some of them thanks to the awareness created by the Index.

 

Download the 2010 International Business Equality Index Brochure: English  Français  Español  Deutsch  Italiano

HELP

If during the completion of the survey you have any questions or if you need assistance with any other issues regarding the Index, please don’t hesitate to contact us:

César Maschmann
Director of Communications & Member Services
Cesar.maschmann@iglcc.org
+1 (514) 287-2888 ext.: 221
Skype id: cesariglcc

 

Download the 2010 International Business Equality Index Brochure: English Français  Español   Deutsch  Italiano

 

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