The nation’s major companies and law firms are advancing in record numbers vital policies and practices to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) workers around the world, according to the 2017 Corporate Equality Index released today by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC)...This year, a record-breaking 517 businesses earned the CEI’s top score of 100, up from 407 last year..

The CEI rates companies and top law firms on detailed criteria falling under five broad categories:

• Non-discrimination policies
• Employment benefits
• Demonstrated organizational competency and accountability around LGBT diversity and inclusion
• Public commitment to LGBT equality
• Responsible citizenship...

This year 887 companies and firms were officially rated and, in addition to the record number of companies receiving a perfect score of 100, progress continued across workplaces, including:

• 93 percent of rated companies had adopted sexual orientation equal employment policies for U.S. and global operations and 92 percent had gender identity equal employment policies for U.S. and global operations.
• Same-sex domestic partner or spousal benefits were provided by 98 percent of rated companies.
• 73 percent of rated companies offer transgender-inclusive healthcare coverage, up from 60 percent from last year, the largest single year increase in trans-inclusive health benefits since the coverage was added to the CEI...