At least 30 firms in the mutual fund and ETF business (down from 41 last year) are among the best employers for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer workers and their families, according to a new list from the folks at an organization that lays claim to being the United States' biggest LGBTQ+ advocacy and political lobbying group.

Seth P. Bernstein AllianceBernstein President, CEO

The team at the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation recently released their 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index (CEI). A record 1,384 businesses (including 378 Fortune 500 companies) participated in the index this year. 545 of those businesses earned scores of 100, winning HRC's Equality 100 Award as "leaders in LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion."

Employers in the asset management business that won Equality 100 2023-2024 awards included: AllianceBernstein, Ameriprise (parent of Columbia Threadneedle), AQR, Baird, BlackRock, Brown Advisory, Charles Schwab, Edward Jones (home of Bridge Builder), Fidelity, Goldman Sachs, GMO, the Hartford, Janus Henderson, J.P. Morgan, Lord Abbett, Macquarie (home of Delaware), Morgan Stanley (parent of Calvert and Eaton Vance), Morningstar, Nationwide, Neuberger Berman, New York Life, Northern Trust, Pimco, Prudential (parent of PGIM), Raymond James, Sun Life (parent of MFS), UBS, Vanguard, Voya, and William Blair.

To determine employers' CEI scores, the HRC team rated those employers' corporate social responsibility, inclusive benefits, support of inclusive culture, and workforce protections.

"For well over two decades, businesses have played an important role in furthering LGBTQ+ equality by centering employee needs and voices when it comes to workplace inclusion," states Shawnie Hawkins, senior director of workplace equality at HRC. "The CEI is an ever-evolving tool — a blueprint that companies can use to show up more effectively in supporting their LGBTQ+ employees and their families."

HRC's 2023-2024 list also includes at least 11 firms in the U.S. retirement plan recordkeeping business, as highlighted by 401kWire, a sister publication to MFWire. 

Stay ahead of the news ... Sign up for our email alerts now
CLICK HERE