Company Release – 1/27/2022Grocer again receives 100 score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s annual assessment of LGBTQ+ workplace equality
CINCINNATI, Jan. 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), America’s largest grocer, proudly announced today that it again received a top score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index, the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.
“We’re incredibly honored to receive this recognition, and we’re proud of every action our associates and leaders have taken to foster a more diverse, equitable and inclusive culture across The Kroger Family of Companies,” said Tim Massa, Kroger’s senior vice president and chief people officer. “We’ve made tremendous progress and will continue working together to advance our workplace to uplift every associate.”
Kroger’s LGBTQ diversity, equity and inclusion highlights include:
- Establishing a Framework For Action: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion plan to develop and execute meaningful DE&I initiatives to promote greater inclusion in the workplace and in the communities the organization serves.
- Offering Associate Resource Groups (ARGs) across the enterprise, providing an uplifting community for LGBTQ associates and allies.
- Providing same-sex partner benefits and transgender-inclusive health care.
- Partnering with the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce to create and enhance relationships with LGBTQ suppliers.
- Achieving Billion Dollar Roundtable status for several consecutive years for reaching more than $1 billion in spend with certified minority- and women-owned suppliers.
- Committing to $10 billion in spend with diverse suppliers by 2030. In 2020, Kroger reached $4.1 billion in diverse supplier spend, representing an increase of 21% versus the previous year.
“As a member of Kroger’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Advisory Council, I’ve seen firsthand how committed Kroger is to creating a culture of inclusion for all associates. Leadership has deeply listened to the Council along with our associate resource groups, and our PRIDE ARG has had a dynamic voice in the conversation about diversity at the organization,” said Cole Decker, 84.51° senior product manager and Council member. “Last year, we were given the opportunity to create an LGBTQ+ allyship guide for our associates and customers. It’s opportunities like this that make me proud to be a member of the Kroger family.”
“When the Human Rights Campaign Foundation created the Corporate Equality Index 20 years ago, we dreamed that LGBTQ+ workers—from the factory floor to corporate headquarters, in big cities and small towns—could have access to the policies and benefits needed to thrive and live life authentically,” said Jay Brown, Human Rights Campaign Senior Vice President of Programs, Research and Training. “We are proud that the Corporate Equality Index paved the way to that reality for countless LGBTQ+ workers in America and abroad. But there is still more to do, which is why we are raising the bar yet again to create more equitable workplaces and a better tomorrow for LGBTQ+ workers everywhere. Congratulations to Kroger for achieving the title of ‘best places to work for LGBTQ+ equality’ and working to advance inclusion in the workplace.”
Kroger joins the ranks of over 840 major U.S. businesses that also earned top marks this year. For more information on the 2022 Corporate Equality Index, or to download a copy of the report, visit www.hrc.org/cei.
About Kroger
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are Fresh for Everyone™ and dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit®. We are, across our family of companies, nearly half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through a seamless shopping experience under a variety of banner names. We are committed to creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.
