For the fourth year in a row, Whirlpool Corporation has been named one of the best places to work for people with disabilities, as part of the 2020 Disability Equality Index (DEI). The DEI is a prominent benchmarking tool for the Fortune 1000 to gauge their level of disability workplace inclusion against competitors. Top-scoring businesses — scoring 80 percent or higher — are recognized as “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion.”
“The best way to attract, retain and grow talent with disabilities is to create an accessible, inclusive workplace,” said Jill Houghton, president and chief executive officer for Disability:IN. “This year’s top scoring Disability Equality Index companies are demonstrating their commitment to many of the numerous leading disability inclusion practices featured in the DEI, recognizing that there’s still room for improvement. We are proud to have developed strong partnerships with corporate allies who are committed to advancing disability inclusion and equality across their businesses in the United States and around the world.”
In 2020, 247 corporations, including 143 Fortune 500 and 154 Fortune 1000 utilized the DEI to benchmark their disability inclusion efforts. The 2020 DEI measured: Culture and Leadership; Enterprise-Wide Access; Employment Practices (Benefits, Recruitment, Employment, Education, Retention and Advancement, Accommodations); Community Engagement; Supplier Diversity; and Non-U.S. Operations.
“Creating an inclusive environment where all of our employees are empowered to succeed personally and professionally every day is one of the main tenets of our culture at Whirlpool Corporation,” said Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer Kirsten Hewitt, who also serves as an executive sponsor of the Whirlpool employee resource group AVID (Awareness of Visible and Invisible Disabilities).
“Among the many workplace awards that Whirlpool Corporation receives each year, being recognized as a best place to work for people with disabilities is an important distinction for us. This is the fourth year in a row that we have earned this honor, and It reaffirms that all Whirlpool employees are given the opportunity to reach their full potential.”