For the second year in a row, BNSF Railway has been recognized on the Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index, scoring a 100/100 on LGBTQ+ equality in the workplace.
“At BNSF, we encourage and facilitate a culture of inclusion for all,” said Tom Williams, group vice president of consumer products and executive sponsor of PRIDE+. “We know that an inclusive work environment makes us stronger as individuals, as well as an organization. It’s a journey that together with our PRIDE+ business resource group and our BNSF team members throughout our network we continue to improve.”
BNSF understands diversity is crucial to the strength, growth and success of our railroad and we succeed when all employees have the opportunity to reach their fullest potential.
BNSF is particularly proud to have improved its score from 90 to 100 since last year. Some of the improvements made include:
- Expanding our voluntary self-identification form to include LGBTQ+ to better understand the composition of our workforce and expand our diversity and inclusion initiatives
- Adding additional benefits for domestic partners, including leave, relocation benefits, and hardship and rollover distribution
- Updating our LGBTQ+ Life Journey to myBNSFbenefits, which helps employees navigate the benefits, resources and support available to them and their families
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index is the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. BNSF joins the ranks of 545 major U.S. businesses that also earned top marks this year.
“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,” said RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, human rights campaign senior director of workplace equality. “Our goal at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation is to work in a spirit of partnership with companies by providing educational resources, technology and collaborating on ways for businesses to support the LGBTQ+ community. The CEI is an ever-evolving tool for companies to encourage a more inclusive workplace culture.”
The full CEI report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.
About BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway is one of North America’s leading freight transportation companies. BNSF operates approximately 32,500 route miles of track in 28 states and three Canadian provinces. BNSF is one of the top transporters of consumer goods, grain and agricultural products, low-sulfur coal, and industrial goods such as petroleum, chemicals, housing materials, food, and beverages. BNSF’s shipments help feed, clothe, supply, and power American homes and businesses every day. BNSF and its employees have developed one of the most technologically advanced, and efficient railroads in the industry. We work continuously to improve the value of the safety, service, energy, and environmental benefits we provide to our customers and the communities we serve. You can learn more about BNSF at www.BNSF.com.
About The Human Rights Campaign Foundation
The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people. Through its programs, the HRC Foundation seeks to make transformational change in the everyday lives of LGBTQ+ people, shedding light on inequity and deepening the public’s understanding of LGBTQ+ issues, with a clear focus on advancing transgender and racial justice. Its work has transformed the landscape for more than 15 million workers, 11 million students, 1 million clients in the adoption and foster care system and so much more.
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Contacts
Kendall Kirkham Sloan
Director of External Communications
Media@BNSF.com
