Lexmark Named 2025 Leader in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion

Kentucky-based company has been recognized in Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index each year since survey began

LEXINGTON, Ky., Jan. 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Lexmark, a global imaging and IoT solutions leader, has earned a top score of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's (HRCF) 2025 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the United States' foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. The achievement earned the company HRFC's Equality 100 Award as a leader in LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion.

Lexmark has been recognized on each CEI since the survey's inception, in 2002, longer than any other Kentucky-based company. It joins the 765 U.S. businesses that will receive the Equality 100 Award in the 2025 CEI, which includes 1,449 businesses, the highest number of rated companies since the start of the survey.

The achievement in the United States comes soon after Lexmark earned top scores in the HRCF's comparable reports on LGBTQ+ workplace equality in Mexico (for the seventh consecutive year), Argentina (third year) and Brazil (also third year). Of the 305 companies that participated in Mexico's Equidad MX 2025, Lexmark was among 79 to obtain the top score of 100. In Argentina, Lexmark is among 55 organizations in Equidad AR 2024 to earn the top score; and in Brazil, Lexmark is named among 79 top-scoring organizations in Equidade BR 2024.

"Lexmark has a long history of championing diversity and inclusion with our employees, customers and partners," said Tonya Jackson, Lexmark senior vice president and chief people officer. "One of our core values is respect: 'Our inclusive culture fosters the value of diverse input and mutual respect.' I'm proud and honored that the HRCF recognizes our global team's efforts to live this value every day."

"Earning a top score on the Corporate Equality Index is a testament to our ongoing efforts at Lexmark to champion LGBTQ+ inclusion and equality in the workplace," said Stephan Bily, Lexmark vice president of Global Business Services and global executive sponsor of GALE, Lexmark's diversity network group for LGBTQ+ people and allies. "This recognition reflects our dedication to creating a workplace where everyone can thrive and be their authentic selves."

"For decades businesses have relied on the CEI as a tool for transparency and leveling the playing field for all workers," said RaShawn "Shawnie" Hawkins, SHRM-CP, HRCF senior director of workplace equality. "As conversations evolve on corporate America's approach to diversity, equity and inclusion, year-over-year growth in CEI participation is evidence of a business community that largely recognizes the responsibility and value in upholding equity and inclusion."

The first year of the CEI included 319 participants, and the 2025 CEI surveyed 1,449 participants. A record-breaking 98% of CEI businesses have non-discrimination protections specific to gender identity.

The CEI rates employers providing these protections to more than 22 million U.S. workers and includes Fortune magazine's 500 largest publicly traded businesses, American Lawyer magazine's top 200 revenue-grossing law firms (according to the AmLaw 200), and hundreds of publicly and privately held mid-size to large 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.
• corporate social responsibility.

The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.

About Lexmark  

Lexmark creates cloud-enabled imaging and IoT technologies that help customers worldwide quickly realize business outcomes. Through a powerful combination of proven technologies and deep industry expertise, Lexmark accelerates business transformation, turning information into insights, data into decisions, and analytics into action.

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.

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SOURCE Lexmark