Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) is the latest among the leading industries to offer protection to lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender (LGBT) with new non-discrimination policies. The new policies would help prevent any discrimination based upon the sexual orientation or gender identity of the workers.
It is important to understand that the investors of the world’s largest publicly traded company had urged the company multiple times since 1999 to put in place policies that would prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation. A spokesman for Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), Alan Jeffers, said that the board of the oil company has approved appropriate policy changes and the company always update its policies in accordance with the latest laws.
Scott Silvestri, spokesperson for Exxon Mobil, said,
“ExxonMobil supports a work environment that values diversity and inclusion, and has numerous inclusive programs and policies that help make ExxonMobil a great place to work.”
This policy change from the oil company is a direct result of an executive order from the U.S. President Barack Obama who did put a ban on discrimination against the LGBT workers by federal contractors.
There were mixed reactions from experts over this policy alteration by Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM). Deena Fidas, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, said,
“To articulate its policy through the lens of legal conformance is not an affirmative changing of course and full adoption of equality, but instead a calibrated response to retain government contracts.”
At the same time, it is important to understand that Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM) received a below zero rating from the Human Rights Campaign for its policies to prevent discrimination against LGBT employees.
Another expert, Tico Almeida, President and Founder of Freedom to Work, said,
“Exxon’s management deserves little credit for finally adopting the LGBT fairness policies they have rejected year after year for almost two decades, but this is an important victory for the company’s current LGBT employees and future LGBT job applicants.”
This article has been written by Prakash Pandey.
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