Electronic Arts may hold the dubious honor of worst company in America, but the mega-publisher is also recognized by the Human Rights Campaign as one of the “best places to work” in in terms of workplace equality. The ranking is based on the Corporate Equality Index, which measures internal policies and an assortment of other criteria (all of which is explained in detail in the linked report).
EA’s top ranking stems from a number of factors, notably the activities of its Diversity & Inclusion Team. The company scored a 100-percent rating based on policies that prohibit workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. EA is one of many companies that offers a transgender-inclusive health care program. Find the full breakdown of factors contributing to the company’s 100-percent score on page 44 of the report.
While Microsoft and Apple also both boast a 100-percent rating, EA is notably the only video game-focused computer software vendor that makes the list. Andre Chambers, head of the company’s Inclusion & Diversity team, celebrated the news in a prepared statement. “We’re very proud that EA has been named a ‘Best Place to Work’ by HRC again this year and that our organisation has been recognised for providing a workplace that is inclusive and where everyone feels welcome,” he wrote. “We look forward to continuing that tradition in 2014.”
This is great news, both for EA and for those that just want to live a life free of harassment. It’s also a fascinating counterpoint to the company’s “worst company in America” designation, which is a product of a crowd-sourced vote on the Internet. It certainly says something about the sorts of people that vote on such things (as does the fact that EA managed to beat out a national bank accused of mortgage fraud). Say what you will about EA’s increasingly maddening insistence on inserting pay-to-play elements into its full-priced games; at least the company has an evolved view of the human condition.
