The Principal Financial Group earns high marks in 2010 Corporate Equality Index
September 11, 2009 (Des Moines, IA) — The Principal Financial Group® has earned the second highest possible score for all companies (95 percent) in the Corporate Equality Index (CEI), an annual survey administered by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). The CEI rates employers on a scale from zero to 100 percent on the treatment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) employees, consumer and investors.
"We are very proud to earn such a high score on the Corporate Equality Index, as it reinforces our commitment to a workplace that understands individuality, and appreciates our employees' unique experiences, backgrounds, talents and qualities," said Ralph Eucher, senior vice president of Human Resources at the Principal Financial Group. "We congratulate our employees for their impressive work toward The Principal's inclusive culture."
The Principal Employee Resource Groups
The Principal® provides a formal setting for employees who have similar interests, who have been culturally underrepresented in the workforce and/or have faced social adversity. This setting is created through the company's various Employee Resource Groups. These groups give employees opportunities to connect with others who have similar interests, along with development, networking and community outreach.
The Principal GLBT/Ally Employee Resource Group has provided support to employees since 1992. This group's mission is to foster a welcoming and inclusive work environment where individuality, including sexual orientation and gender identity, is encouraged and respected by:
- Partnering with the company's sales organization on strategies to market to, recruit and retain GLBT business owners and individual customers
- Educating employees on GLBT issues
- Organizing network events and development opportunities
The CEI rated 583 businesses, evaluating GLBT-related policies and practices, including non-discrimination policies, transgender benefits and domestic partner benefits. For more information on the 2010 Corporate Equality Index, or to download a free copy of the report, visit www.hrc.org/cei.
About the Principal Financial Group
The Principal Financial Group® (The Principal ®)[4] is a leader in offering businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement and investment services, life and health insurance, and banking through its diverse family of financial services companies. A member of the Fortune 500, the Principal Financial Group has $257.7 billion in assets under management[5] and serves some 18.8 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Principal Financial Group, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PFG. For more information, visit www.principal.com.
