What A Surprise: Wal-Mart Board & "Gender Identity And Expression" Don't Mix

by: Autumn Sandeen

Fri May 23, 2008 at 16:00:00 PM EDT

WAL-MART'S STATEMENT IN OPPOSITION TO
PROPOSAL NO. 4

As one of the world's largest private employers, we place diversity at all levels, from our Board to our Associates, among our top priorities. Our dedication to a diverse workforce is well known, and we believe our actions demonstrate that we work hard to implement our Equality of Opportunity Policy. That policy states that "Wal-Mart will not tolerate discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, sex, age, sexual orientation, religion, disability, ethnicity, national origin, veteran status, martial status or any other legally-protected status." In view of the wide reach of this policy, we do not believe a change to our Equality of Opportunity Policy is needed to ensure that our Associates at all levels are treated fairly and with respect.

Our dedication to building and retaining an inclusive and respectful workplace for all of our Associates has been recognized by numerous groups promoting such standards across the country. In 2007, we were honored to be the recipient of the National Bar Association's Spirit of Excellence Corporate Award; we were named one of DiversityInc.'s Top 50 Companies for Diversity; we were named as one of the National Association of Female Executives' Top Companies for Female Executives; and we received other recognition for our on-going commitment to diversity in the workplace. Our commitment to diversity also extends to our supplier base, and through our Supplier Development Program, we seek to advance our business relationships to minority- and women-owned suppliers.

The Board is proud of Wal-Mart's accomplishments in this area. The diversity of our Associates and suppliers shows that we are leading by example toward a diverse workplace in the United States and globally. The Board is committed to monitoring our Company's progress in this regard and to helping ensure that we adhere to our core beliefs and stated policies. The Board believes that Wal-Mart already appropriately addresses the concerns set forth in the proposal and believes that revising our Company's policy would not benefit our Company, our Associates or our shareholders.

For the above reasons, the Board recommends that the shareholders vote AGAINST this proposal.

I don't feel respected when Wal-Mart are specifically against anti-discrimination protection for transgender and other gender-variant people in their employ.

And by the way, this is the second major corporation we've tracked at Pam's House Blend that has used their DiversityInc rating (Wal-Mart was no. 41 of top 50 company's for diversity in 2007; Verizon was no 1 on the same list for 2008) as to why the corporation doesn't feel a need to specifically add gender identity and expression language into their non-discrimination policies.

My value of DiversityInc's lists have been shrinking recently. It appears notable to me that the boards of two corporations that have done well in recent DiversityInc's Top 50 Companies for Diversity have seen their boards recommended voting against the interests of transgender employees -- recommended against adding gender identity and expression to their non-discrimination policies. How do corporations become top businesses on DiversityInc lists when there is a class of people that corporations feel free to advocate against to their shareholders -- without repercussion from DiversityInc?

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Related:
* DiversityInc's No. 1 Employer Is Against Gender Identity/Expression In Non-Discrimination Policy
* Verizon Shareholders Vote Down Protections Based On Gender Identity And Expression