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This very important list is
calculated differently from most of the other demographic lists because we do
not have real demographic data on these companies--many people with disabilities
do not self-identify. We ascertain this list by factoring in the questions we
ask about people with disabilities, such as whether the company actively
recruits them and has employee-resource groups for them. We also examine
work/life benefits that help this population, such as telecommuting and flex
time. We factor in whether the company has vendors owned by people with
disabilities and/or veterans with disabilities. And we separately examine each
company's web site for images of people with visible disabilities and content on
reaching all people with disabilities as employees, suppliers and
customers.
Consider these facts about this top
10 list:
- All of them have specific programs
to recruit employees with disabilities, compared with 88 percent of the Top
50
- They all offer the ability to work
at home and/or telecommute, as do all of the Top 50
- They all offer job sharing, as do 80
percent of the Top 50
- Eighty percent of them offer
alternative career tracks for those with long-term family-care issues, as do 56
percent of the Top 50
- All of them have employee-resource
groups for people with disabilities, as do 71 percent of the Top
50
Here are these top 10 with a
relevant fact about each of them:
No. 1: IBM, No. 9 on The 2008 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity®
list. Also one of the Top Global Diversity Companies, No. 2 on the Top 10 Companies for Asian Americans and No. 1 on the
Top 10 for LGBT Employees.
With 77 percent of its managers
participating in mentoring programs, IBM clearly takes a nurturing role toward
its employees, including those with visible and non-visible disabilities. The
company has a supplier-diversity component aimed at people with
disabilities.
No. 2: Eastman Kodak Co., one of
DiversityInc's 25 Noteworthy Companies. Also No. 6 on the Top 10 for LGBT Employees.
A longtime champion of people with
disabilities, Kodak has first-rate work/life programs, including a confidential
24/7 Lifeworks & Referral Service. The company also has developed strong
supplier-diversity relationships with vendors owned by people with disabilities
and veterans with disabilities.
No. 3: PepsiCo, No. 28 on the Top 50. Also one of the Top Global Diversity Companies
and No. 4 on the Top 10 for LGBT
Employees.
The company has a strong employee
group called EnAble. Chairman and CEO Indra Nooyi meets often with members of
this and other employee groups.
No. 4: Kaiser Permanente, No. 43 on
the Top 50. Also No. 8 on the Top 10 for
African Americans, No. 1 on the Top 10 for
Latinos and No. 5 on the Top 10 for
Executive Women.
The company has a supplier-diversity
component for vendors owned by veterans with disabilities and a strong
employee-resource group for people with disabilities.
No. 5: Health Care Service Corp.,
No. 34 on the Top 50. Also No. 10 on the Top 10 for
Executive Women.
The company directs 75 percent of
its philanthropic efforts toward initiatives that address health and human
services in the communities it services.
No. 6: Sodexo, No. 12 on the Top 50. Also
No. 3 on the Top 10 Companies for Recruitment & Retention
and No. 9 on the Top 10 Companies for African
Americans.
With a strong employee-resource
group, Sodexo Organization of disabilities Resources, Sodexo also has a
philanthropic relationship with the National Organization on
Disability.
No. 7: Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Worldwide, No. 19 on the Top 50. Also No. 7 on
the Top 10 for
Executive Women.
With a valued relationship with the
National Disability Council, Starwood also has supplier-diversity efforts with
vendors owned by people with disabilities and veterans with
disabilities.
No. 8: General Motors, No. 44 on the
Top 50. Also No. 7 on the Top 10 for
African Americans.
A longtime leader in this area,
General Motors has a robust People With Disabilities Affinity Group and
comprehensive diversity training.
No. 9: Deloitte, No. 16 on the Top 50. Also No. 7 on the Top 10 for LGBT Employees.
With 75 percent of its managers
participating in mentoring programs, Deloitte makes a deep and concerted effort
to ensure all employees reach maximum potential. The firm has generous and
trendsetting work/life benefits that help people with disabilities, including
periodic reduced-workload arrangements.
No. 10: Novartis Pharmaceuticals
Corp., No. 31 on the Top 50
The company has a Caregivers
Affinity Group as well as a group for People With disAbilities and Chronic
Health Issues.