The company achieved a perfect score on its inaugural participation in the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s assessment of LGBTQ+ workplace equality
Bridgewater, N.J., U.S., December 1, 2023 – Messer, the largest privately held industrial gas company in the world, proudly announced that it received a score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. Messer, who participated in the assessment for the first time, joins the ranks of 545 major U.S. businesses that also earned top marks this year.
“At Messer, we accept, respect and value the diversity of all our people, as they are the true strength of Messer,” said Patricia Hargil, Vice President, Diversity Officer, Americas. “We’re honored to receive this significant recognition from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, which signals our commitment to creating a culture where everyone has an equal opportunity to thrive.”
“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. While there is much more work to be done, year-over-year growth in CEI participation is evidence of a business community that recognizes the responsibility and value in upholding equity and inclusion,” said RaShawn “Shawnie” Hawkins, Human Rights Campaign Sr Director of Workplace Equality. “Our goal at the Human Rights Campaign Foundation is to work in a spirit of partnership with companies, providing educational resources and leading benchmarking, and collaborating on ways for businesses to support the LGBTQ+ community at a time when we face unprecedented legislative attacks, heightened anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and physical violence. 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.”
The results of the 2023-2024 CEI showcase how U.S.-based companies are promoting LGBTQ+ friendly workplace policies in the U.S. and abroad. The first year of the CEI included 319 participants, and the 2023-2024 CEI now includes 1,384 participants; further demonstrating the tremendous trajectory of the CEI, a record-breaking 1,340 businesses have non-discrimination protections specific to gender identity, up from just 17 in 2002. These critical non-discrimination protections cover 21 million employees in the U.S. and around the globe. Messer’s efforts in satisfying all the CEI’s criteria earned a score of 100 and the designation as recipient of the Equality 100 Award: Leader in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion.
“We are proud to have received an Equality 100 Award and are committed to continuing to evolve our policies and practices to support equality and an inclusive environment,” said Brian Williams, Vice President, Human Resources, Americas.
The CEI rates employers providing these crucial protections to over 20 million U.S. workers and an additional 18 million outside of the U.S. companies rated in the CEI include Fortune Magazine’s 500 largest publicly traded businesses, American Lawyer Magazine’s top 200 revenue-grossing law firms (AmLaw 200), and hundreds of publicly and privately held mid-to-large-sized businesses.
The CEI rates companies on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars:
- Non-discrimination policies across business entities;
- Equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families;
- Supporting an inclusive culture; and,
- Corporate social responsibility.
The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.
About Messer Americas
Messer is the largest privately held industrial gas business in the world and a leading industrial and medical gas company in North and South America. Messer offers 125 years of expertise in industrial, medical, specialty and electronics gases. The company delivers quality gases, related services and technology via an extensive production and distribution network. Health and safety, sustainability practices and environmental protection are core Messer values that are embedded in the company’s daily operations.
Messer Americas is part of the Messer SE & Co. KGaA, representing an approximately $4.4 billion USD enterprise with presence in the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit: www.messeramericas.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. The HRC Foundation provides direct consultation and technical assistance to institutions and communities, driving the advancement of inclusive policies and practices; it builds the capacity of future leaders and allies through fellowship and training programs; and, with the firm belief that we are stronger working together, it forges partnerships with advocates in the U.S. and around the globe to increase our impact and shape the future of our work.
