HRC’s Equality Index includes Hershey, Rite Aid and Bon-Ton

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They are The Hershey Co., Bon-Ton Stores Inc. and Rite Aid Corp., respectively. Hershey and Rite Aid trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbols HSYand RAD, and Bon-Ton trades on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol BONT.

The index rated 781 companies, up from 734 last year, and Hershey was among the record 366 that earned the top score and were dubbed best places to work for LGBT equality. Last year, 304 earned the top score, up from 189 the previous year.

The average score for the 32 companies and law firms based in Pennsylvania this year was 84 percent.

Nationally, HRC says, 89 percent of participants now cover gender identity in their nondiscrimination policies, up from 86 percent last year. Sixty-six percent of all Fortune 500 companies have gender identity protections, up from 61 percent last year. And 418 companies now offer transgender workers at least one health care plan that has transgender-inclusive coverage — a 22 percent increase since 2012, when the CEI criteria first included that as a requisite for companies to receive a perfect score.

“At every turn, from advocating for marriage equality to providing vital support for transgender employees, this country’s leading companies have asked, ‘what more can we do?,’ and they’ve worked tirelessly to achieve new progress,” HRC President Chad Griffin said in a news release.

However, he continued, despite steady progress, “Too many companies still don’t guarantee these vital workplace protections, and too many LGBT people — transgender people in particular — face high rates of unemployment and discrimination in hiring, keeping them from ever getting a foot in the door in the first place.”

HRC says the ratings are based on detailed criteria in the following categories: Nondiscrimination policies; employment benefits; demonstrated organizational competency and accountability around LGBT diversity and inclusion; public commitment to LGBT equality; and responsible citizenship.

The Pennsylvania-based employers on this year’s list and their scores are as follows:

American Eagle Outfitters Inc. 100

Aramark Corp. 100

Comcast Corp. 100

Dechert LLP 100

Hershey Co., The 100

K&L Gates LLP 100

Morgan Lewis & Bockius LLP 100

Pepper Hamilton LLP 100

PNC Financial Services Group Inc., The 100

Reed Smith LLP 100

SAP America Inc. 100

Air Products & Chemicals Inc. 95

Erie Insurance Group 95

H.J. Heinz Co. 95

Vanguard Group Inc. 95

Ballard Spahr LLP 90

Bon-Ton Stores Inc. 90

Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP 90

Duane Morris LLP 90

IKEA (U.S.) 90

Lincoln National Corp. 90

Saul Ewing LLP 90

Bayer Corp. 80

Giant Eagle Inc. 75

PPG Industries Inc. 75

Pep Boys-Manny, Moe & Jack 65

PPL Corp. 65

Wawa Inc. 65

Rite Aid Corp. 60

Severn Trent Services Inc. 50

Unisys Corp. 40

Allegheny Energy Inc. 15