Top 10 Lesbian Places to Work
These Fortune 500 companies are the friendliest for lesbians.
by Jen Phillips
The Fortune 500, much like BusinessWeek's college rankings, has become more than an annual article. It's a definitive guide to the best and brightest companies of the year. Our top ten list strives to serve the same function for you. Each year, Girlfriends provides you with a handy index of which big companies are most likely to keep you happy as a woman, a lesbian, and; for those of you with kids; a mother. To do this, we first look at the Fortune 500 and eliminate any companies that don't offer domestic partner benefits or nondiscrimination policies. Then we cross-reference the remaining contenders with the Gay Financial Network's "The Most Powerful and Gay-Friendly Public Companies in Corporate America" and submit Girlfriends' custom-tailored questionnaire. Those companies left standing make our top ten.
Although not everyone wants to work for a large company, these giants do offer unparalleled benefits. Gay employee groups, lactation rooms, regional headquarters, flex time, and retirement packages are just a few of the perks that keep our corporate sisters working nine to five. (Because, gay or straight, we all care about job security, our scoring system also graded down for recent layoffs.)  #1. American Express
(NYSE:AXP) New York, NY
Revenue last year in billions: $21.4
Total Employees: 84,417
% Women: 65
% Female Upper Mgt.: 48
A perennial favorite, American Express finally took the number one spot this year after placing second in 2001 and sixth in 2000. The international credit and financial services company works to get the accolades it's gained from Working Mother, Latina Style, and Fortune: it provides on-site nursing rooms and requires managers to complete more than eight sensitivity programs, including "Selecting Without Bias," within two years. American Express began extending retirement benefits to domestic partners in January 2000, and acted as Grand Marshall for the 2001 Gay Pride Parade and Festival in the Twin Cities. Besides being gay- and woman-friendly, American Express has numerous ethnic employee groups and was voted a top employer for minority managers by Minority MBA.
#2. Verizon Communications
(NYSE:VZ) New York, NY
Revenue last year in billions: $67
Total Employees: 247,000
% Women: 44
% Female Upper Mgt.: 29
This relatively young communications company has already become a major player in the wireless market. Along with its market share, Verizon is strongly committed to diversity. In addition to retirement and standard domestic partnership benefits, Verizon provides up to $10,000 in adoption assistance (most companies give around $1,000). This may include consultations and resources as well as actual adoption expenses. Its women's employee group, WAVE, provides a place to address real issues affecting workers as well as networking and mentoring opportunities. The tolerance has limits though: Verizon has "zero-tolerance for sexual harassment or employee harassment of any kind." Two thumbs (or fingers) up for Verizon.
#3. Hewlett Packard
(NYSE:HP) Palo Alto, CA
Revenue last year in billions: $45.2
Total Employees: 41,000
% Women: 36
% Female Upper Mgt.: 30
HP is one of the reasons Silicon Valley became a technology mecca. The hardware giant was founded by two Stanford grads during the Great Depression. Though the company suffered layoffs in 2001, its recent merger with Compaq; spearheaded by maverick CEO Carly Fiorina; gives good reason for continued success in the computer industry. Most HP offices offer lactation rooms (though they don't offer childcare). An affirmative action policy mandates they "proactively recruit, hire, develop, and promote" qualified women and other minorities; plus, HP's nondiscrimination policy includes sexual orientation and gender identity. Its gay employee group (GLEN) and environmental policies are other reasons HP stands out from the crowd.
#4. AT&T
(NYSE:T) New York, NY
Revenue last year in billions: $52.6
Total Employees: 70,500
% Women: 52
% Female Upper Mgt.: 25
Another long-time veteran of this list, AT&T was number one last year and number two in 2000. The communications behemoth is unique because of its domestic partnership retirement benefits, $3,000 in adoption assistance, and low rate of layoffs during the recession; AT&T included sexual orientation in its nondiscrimination policies starting in the 1970s. AT&T is also particularly friendly to those who have dependents. Its Work and Family Program (established in 1990) allows workers to use pre-tax portions of their salary for "dependent care expenses," usually child or elder care. The gay employee group LEAGUE also benefits from AT&T's flex time, work-at-home program, and casual work attire (read: no heels).
#5. FleetBoston
(NYSE:FBF) Boston, MA
Revenue last year in billions: $12.8
Total Employees: 55,000
% Women: 70
% Female Upper Mgt.: 25
FleetBoston doesn't just want to employ lesbians. It wants to give them money, too. The female-dominated banking company is strongly committed to giving loans to small and community-based companies, especially those owned by minorities. FleetBoston (formerly BankBoston) is a visible supporter of the gay community, flying flags at headquarters during the company's Gay and Lesbian Awareness week and donating to gay/lesbian causes, both local and national. Fleet also has employee groups for parents, queers, women, and ethnic minorities. An active Office of Diversity helps ensure that the "most up-to-date methods and information" are used to keep Fleet a friendly place to work.
#6. Texas Instruments
(NYSE:TXN) Dallas, TX
Revenue last year in billions: $8.2
Total Employees: 34,800
% Women: 29
% Female Upper Mgt.: 13
Despite the tech blowout in 2001, Texas Instruments managed to keep layoffs to a minimum. They also managed to keep their middle-management salaries relatively high. For lesbians in a family way, the company provides adoption assistance, on-site nursing rooms, and summer and spring break camps for kids. Its domestic partnership benefits donšt include retirement, but transgender and lesbian employees are protected under its nondiscrimination policies. And did we mention stock options?
#7. Bank of America
(NYSE:BAC) Charlotte, NC
Revenue last year in billions: $35
Total Employees: 142,000
% Women: 70
% Female Upper Mgt.: 55
Like FleetBoston, Bank of America has a strong majority of female employees. And B of A's high percentage of women in upper management shows that these gals aren't just cashing change, they're making it. The South Carolina-based bank has been named as a top ten company to work for by Working Mother, probably due to its on-and off-site childcare and adoption assistance program. The global company contributes to lesbian and gay nonprofits, as in the case of last year's $150,000 gift to San Francisco's Community Center Project. Sensitivity training, an inclusive environment, and antidiscrimination policies regarding gender, sex, and sexuality will help keep B of A's workers protected. The gay employee group will make sure they don't feel alone.
#8. Lucent
(NYSE:LU) Murray Hill, NJ
Revenue last year in billions: $21.3
Total Employees: 62,000
% Women: 32
% Female Upper Mgt.: 3
Originally part of AT&T, Lucent provides communications networking equipment, including wireless and Internet support. The high-tech success story has built a reputation for popular and numerous employee groups, including EQUAL, the LGBT resource. Lucent also sponsors a yearly Diversity and Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Conference and provides $3,500 adoption assistance to prospective parents. However, despite CEO Patricia Russo, not many others in upper management at Lucent are women.
#9. General Motors
(NYSE:GM) Detroit, MI
Revenue last year in billions: $1.5
Total Employees: 362,000
% Women: 20
% Female Upper Mgt.: 20
General Motors, which claims to be the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, has included sexual orientation in its nondiscrimination policies since 1995. Since its last union negotiation, the company has offered domestic partner medical benefits for salaried and hourly employees. GM workers can get sensitivity training at General Motors University or join GM Plus, the LGBT group, which is composed of "direct, contracted, and retired" autoworkers. In its local community, GM has donated money to Affirmations Lesbian and Gay Community Center and is currently considering contributing to other Michigan nonprofits.
#10. Xerox
(NYSE:XRX) Stanford, CT
Revenue last year in billions: $16.5
Total Employees: 78,900
% Women: 34
% Female Upper Mgt.: 37
Founded in Rochester, New York, as the Haloid company, Xerox ranks with HP and Lucent as one of a handful of Fortune 500 companies with a female CEO. Although it doesn't provide on-site childcare or permanent nursing rooms, it does allow employees to name their domestic partners as beneficiaries of their pensions, 401(k)s, and company-paid life insurance. All benefits offered to legal spouses are also available to same-sex partners, and Xerox has openly gay managers. In addition, sexual harassment training is required yearly for all employees. Prospective homeowners will appreciate the company's Mortgage Assistance for First-Time Home Buyers program, and do-gooders can use the Social Service Leave Program to take a paid, one-year leave to work in an appropriate nonprofit.
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