Top Brokers, Insurers Earn High Ratings On LGBT Issues

The world's two biggest insurance brokers earned a 100 percent positive rating on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender issues from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation earlier this fall.

HRC, which also rated eight insurers 100 percent, gives positive ratings for firms that ban bias and provide diversity training.

Tops among brokers were New York-based Marsh & McLennan Companies (the parent company of insurance broker Marsh and reinsurance broker Guy Carpenter) and Chicago-based Aon.

The brokers and insurers were listed in the eighth-annual Corporate Equality Index published by the HRC in September.

The index covered such workplace issues as nondiscrimination policies, domestic partner benefits, transgender benefits, and diversity training and management.

“We are proud to have achieved this rating for a second-consecutive year,” said Kathryn Komsa, MMC's vice president of diversity and inclusion. “This recognition illustrates MMC's commitment to keep pace with the HRC's evolving expectations to promote fairness and equality for LGBT employees, clients and investors.”

She added that “our diversity and inclusion initiatives, combined with the support of our very active LGBT employee networks, help promote a work environment in which all colleagues are welcomed and empowered to do their best.”

This was the third consecutive year Aon has earned a 100 percent rating.

Also earning a 100 percent rating was San Francisco-based bank Wells Fargo Company, which also owns Wells Fargo Insurance Services.

The list contained 10 insurers with property and casualty business–eight of which earned an 100 percent rating. The eight with the 100 percent rating were:

o AAA Northern California, Nevada and Utah

o Allstate

o Chubb Corp.

o CNA Insurance

o Esurance Inc.

o The Hartford Financial Services

o Nationwide

o Progressive Corp.

Chartis (the new brand of American International Group's commercial insurers) came in with a score of 85 percent, while Zurich North America scored 65 percent. HRC said the average index score was 86 percent.

HRC said the number of companies obtaining a 100 percent score rose to 305, up from 260 in the prior year's report. The number of companies taking part in the survey also rose to 590, 40 more than in the previous year.

Businesses that prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation rose 1 percent–from 575 to 581. Businesses that provide diversity training concerning sexual orientation rose 2 percent–from 539 to 552.