Globally, the company’s headcount dropped by 9,000 people, or 13%, last year as a result of layoffs, attrition and performance-related departures. advertisements, Pride parades, social media posts) but now believes it inappropriate to visibly show support for our LGBTQ+ employees at the workplace,” the workers’ group said in the email.Įxxon has already suffered unprecedented employee attrition in the U.S. “It is difficult to reconcile how ExxonMobil recognizes the value of promoting our corporation as supportive of the LGBTQ+ community externally (e.g. Still, some Exxon employees believe the company’s leadership should be taking a stronger position on LGBTQ rights. Read More: History-Making Trans State Legislator Danica Roem’s Roadmap for Protecting LGBTQ Kids “Diversity is not a stand-alone activity it is embedded in our core values, our approach to how we develop talent, and the culture to which we aspire,” Gunnlaugsson said. Exxon’s worldwide workforce is about 63,000. The oil giant was slower than many corporations to provide equal coverage, but added gay marriage benefits in 2014, restored protective-employment language in 2015 and added transgender coverage in 2016.Įxxon’s Pride employee resource group has existed since 2008 and currently has 3,000 members globally. “The flags are directly related to our business and company support of our ERGs, including PRIDE for LBGTQ+ employees.”Įxxon has made significant strides to improve diversity and extend employee benefits over the last decade, but some workers perceive the row over the rainbow flag as a major setback for LGBTQ employees and their allies. While the commonly recognized rainbow flag is prohibited, Exxon supports displaying banners and flags with logos of so-called employee resource groups, especially during signature months, Gunnlaugsson said. “We’re committed to keeping an open, honest, and inclusive workplace for all of our employees, and we’re saddened that any employee would think otherwise.” “The updated flag protocol is intended to clarify the use of the ExxonMobil branded company flag and not intended to diminish our commitment to diversity and support for employee resource groups,” Tracey Gunnlaugsson, vice president of human resources, said in a statement. Read More: Florida Republicans Want to Punish Disney for Opposing the ‘Don’t Say Gay Law.’ Here’s What That Means for the Company last month decided to publicly oppose legislation promoted by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis that critics call the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, prompting lawmakers to move to strip the entertainment giant of special self-governance privileges. The dispute comes as employees, investors and customers increasingly push America’s biggest corporations to take stances on social issues such as LGBTQ rights, racial equality and abortion.
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“PRIDE was informed the justification was centered on the need for the corporation to maintain ‘neutrality.’”
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“Corporate leadership took exception to a rainbow flag being flown at our facilities” last year, Exxon’s PRIDE Houston employee group wrote in the email Thursday.