Diversity & Inclusion

Navient got a perfect score in LGBTQ equality. How would your company rate?

Only about 12 percent of companies reviewed by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation hit the 100-percent mark.

The LGBTQ Pride flag. (Photo by Flickr user torbakhopper, used under a Creative Commons license)

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation has released the results of its 2018 Corporate Equality Index of over 5,000 companies, rating them on LGBTQ equality. About 12 percent got perfect 💯 scores — including Navient, the education-loan servicing company with a waterfront Wilmington headquarters.


A perfect score means the company goes beyond LGBTQ tolerance. To earn a score of 100 percent, the company must make a deliberate and open policy of LGBTQ inclusion and support. According to HRC, the requirements include:

  • Sexual Orientation in U.S. Non-Discrimination Policy
  • Gender Identity in U.S. Non-Discrimination Policy
  • Domestic Partner Benefits
  • Transgender-Inclusive Benefits
  • Organizational LGBTQ Competency
  • Public Commitment to the LGBTQ Community

Fortune 500 companies (a list Navient, which split from Sallie Mae in 2014, just barely missed for 2017) have a much higher rate of scoring 100 percent — about 70 percent of Fortune 500s met all requirements, including Apple, General Motors, AT&T, Walgreens and Amazon.
“We’re honored by this recognition of our long-standing commitment to equality and our focus on fostering a culture of inclusion,” Navient Senior Vice President of Human Resources Jon Kroehler said in a statement. “We know that being deliberately inclusive — being truly welcoming and supportive of all persons in our practices and policies — is both the right approach and the approach that drives positive company performance because of the terrific workforce it helps us attract.”
HRC doesn’t rate every business, especially small ones, but you can download the report and use the detailed criteria to figure out how your company would rate.

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