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Eastern Bank’s Support of the LGBTQ Community Receives National and Local Recognition

For the Sixth Consecutive Year, Eastern Bank Earns 100 Percent on Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Annual Scorecard on LGBTQ Workplace Equality, and Designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Workplace Equality

Eastern is also recognized by the Boston Business Journal with its Corporate Ally Award

Eastern Chair and CEO Bob Rivers is recognized by Greater Boston PFLAG with its Inspired Ally Award

BOSTON, May 23, 2019 – As America’s oldest and largest mutual bank, standing with and standing up for the communities it serves has been central to Eastern Bank’s 200+ year old mission. Eastern is pleased to announce its support of the LGBTQ community has received national and local recognition by three organizations:
- For the sixth consecutive year, Eastern Bank has received a perfect score of 100 on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation’s premier benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation. Eastern joins over 560 major U.S. businesses that also earned top marks this year;
- For its longstanding commitment to Greater Boston’s LGBT community, the Boston Business Journal has recognized Eastern with its Business of Pride Corporate Ally Award; and
- For his commitment to advocating on behalf of the LGBTQ community, Eastern Chair and CEO Bob Rivers has been recognized by Greater Boston PFLAG with its Inspired Ally Award.

“Our focus as a mutual bank is to support the continued growth of our business in support of our mission and fundamental belief that standing with and standing up for our communities is both the right and smart thing to do,” said Bob Rivers, Chair and CEO of Eastern Bank. “While we are humbled to have our efforts in supporting the LGBTQ community recognized, we are equally aware that there is still so much work to do to achieve full equality for everyone, everywhere in the communities we serve. By joining together with our colleagues, customers and communities, our goal is to make equal rights a reality for all.”

Advocating for and defending LGBTQ rights has long been important to Eastern. Examples include in 2018, Eastern contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to community partners serving the LGBTQ community. In addition, Eastern was instrumental in raising awareness in support of the successful 2018 “Yes on 3” campaign when Massachusetts voters upheld the protections of civil rights for people who are Transgender. Nearly a decade ago, Eastern expanded its health insurance to include coverage for gender-related care, including transition-related surgery and supporting services. Eastern has also created gender-neutral bathrooms in its largest facility, in Lynn, Massachusetts, and its “Equality Under the Blue” Employee Network has a visible presence internally and at events across New England every year.

Eastern’s advocacy has expanded from its efforts as the first company to sign GLAD’s amicus brief against DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) nearly a decade ago. Other efforts include testifying many times since in support of legislative protections in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, to continuing work in economic inclusion on the Board of the recently-launched Massachusetts LGBT Chamber of Commerce and offering support for America Competes and HRC’s Business Coalition for the Equality Act. Eastern remains committed to volunteerism and advocacy for the LGBTQ community, in addition to continued philanthropy.

Human Rights Campaign Foundation Corporate Equality Index (CEI)
The 2019 CEI evaluates LGBTQ-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs, and public engagement with the LGBTQ community. Eastern’s efforts in satisfying all of the CEI’s criteria results in a 100 percent ranking and the designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality.

“We thank the Human Rights Campaign Foundation for raising awareness about LGBTQ equality and for recognizing our efforts,” said Nancy Stager, Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Officer of Eastern Bank. “Long-standing advocates of diversity, equity and inclusion, Eastern works to build inclusive environments within and outside our company. We believe everyone’s best contributions happen when we all feel welcome and can bring our whole selves to what we do, and we are honored to join the hundreds of other businesses being recognized for their practices around LGBTQ equality.” 

For more information on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index, or to download a free copy of the report, visit www.hrc.org/cei. The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

Boston Business Journal Business of Pride Corporate Ally Award
This award recognizes a Massachusetts company that has demonstrated commitment and innovation in an effort to promote greater awareness of and solidarity with the LGBT community. Nominations are solicited from the community and are evaluated in four areas: mission, innovation, impact and sustainability.

“We have had the pleasure of working with the Eastern Bank team on a host of issues central to equality, and we know that their deep commitment to the LGBTQ community is a central part of their overall commitment to ensuring that all people are treated fairly and have access to opportunity,” said Jesse Mermell, President of the Alliance for Business Leadership. “It’s why we are so proud to have nominated Eastern Bank for the Corporate Ally Award. We know that being a champion for the LGBTQ community is a fundamental part of who they are.”

Greater Boston PFLAG Inspired Ally Award
The Greater Boston PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer People) Inspired Ally Award is given to an ally who is an outstanding community leader advancing the organization’s mission to support, educate and advocate on behalf of the LGBTQ community.

“It often takes sheer will to create equal rights and opportunity for all people, and Bob Rivers and his colleagues at Eastern Bank truly use their voice and resources to help create a world that is safer and more inclusive,” said Valerie Frias, Executive Director of Greater Boston PFLAG. “We thank them for their support of many social justice and sustainability issues, and are thrilled to present them with our Inspired Ally Award.”

About Eastern Bank
Founded in 1818, Boston-based Eastern Bank is America’s oldest and largest mutual bank, with over $11 billion in assets and more than 115 locations serving communities in eastern Massachusetts, southern and coastal New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Eastern provides exceptional access to fairly priced banking, investment and insurance products and services for consumers and businesses of all sizes. Eastern Bank, which includes Eastern Wealth Management and Eastern Insurance, is known for its outspoken advocacy and community support that has exceeded more than $125 million in charitable giving since 1999. An inclusive company, Eastern employs 1,900+ deeply committed professionals who value relationships with their customers, colleagues, and communities. Join us for good at www.easternbank.com and follow Eastern on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram.

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