Culture Reaps Rewards

Being a gay-friendly workplace means a lot more than simply having a few lesbian employees or having a boss that asks homophobes to cut it out when they start gay-bashing. A workplace that really feels like a good place to go in the morning is a coveted thing.  It seems that Harris Bank might be one of those rare places.

In a press release, the bank announced that it has been recognized as one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality,” achieving a perfect 100 percent score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2011 Corporate Equality Index.

Harris is among 337 businesses awarded for their outstanding diversity efforts in the workplace after being evaluated on non-discrimination policies, benefits, diversity training, internal resources provided to LGBT workers, and outside support of the LGBT community.

The bank offers several employee affinity groups, including Lion’s Pride, which provides a supportive forum for LGBT employees while offering cultural and educational opportunities and events.

“Promoting fairness and equality in the workplace not only helps foster an environment where our employees can flourish, but also helps us better understand and serve our diverse customer base — and ultimately helps us achieve our vision to be the bank that defines great customer experience,” said Deirdre Drake, senior vice president, Human Resources, Harris N.A.

Harris will be honored alongside the other awarded businesses on March 23, 2011 at the Seventh Annual LGBT Workplace Awards Seminar and Reception in New York. These types of employment awards are often seen as recruiting coups, allowing companies to recruit the best and brightest employees to create a diverse, vibrant, and more competitive workplace.