Below is an article originally written by Pride Circle Co-Chairs: Brook Colangelo and Katie O'Neilland published on January 28, 2021. This article is about PowerToFly Partner Waters Corporation. Go to Waters' Corporation company page on PowerToFly to see their open positions and learn more.
Today, Waters Corporation announced that it received a score of 95 out of 100 on the 2021 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's annual scorecard for LGBTQ+ workplace equality. As co-chairs of the Waters employee-led Pride Circle – which supports our organization's LGBTQ+ community and its allies – we could not be more pleased with this recognition.
This recognition is the culmination of 18 months of collaboration, community support, and work across the enterprise – from facilities, to supply chain, to benefits, human resources, and leadership. Our presence on this distinguished list demonstrates our commitment to our employees, customers, vendors, and shareholders to continue to ensure human rights are available to all people regardless of who they are.
In a statement to employees, Dr. Udit Batra, Waters President and CEO, wrote:
You've heard me say diversity is a statement, inclusion is an act. I am personally committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and action where all employees can bring their true selves to work. I have benefitted greatly from the acts of inclusion by others throughout my life, and I have also experienced the very opposite. Both experiences fuel my commitment to acts of inclusion at Waters.
Making Waters inclusive and supportive for employees and customers
We are incredibly proud of the progress and achievements we have made together toward creating an inclusive workplace. Since its inception in 2019, the Pride Circle has worked closely with executive leadership to help make Waters more inclusive and supportive for employees and customers.
Some of our key accomplishments in 2020 include the:
- Growth of Pride Circle to more than 100 LGBTQ+ and ally employees
- Coordination of Pride Month events in June 2020, including our Allyship workshop to enable our Waters' allies to support and advocate on behalf of their LGBTQ+ colleagues and the larger LGBTQ+ community
- Expansion of benefits for same-sex spouses and partners, along with gender transition guidelines
- Installation of gender-neutral restrooms in United States and United Kingdom
- Development of a close partnership with Out in Tech, the world's largest non-profit community of LGBTQ+ technology leaders
These actions also reinforce one of Waters' 2025 Sustainability Goals: To Lead by Example in Our Employee Development and Engagement. Of all our accomplishments, we are most proud to have made individual connections and have positively impacted the lives of both LGBTQ+ and ally employees.
Committed to advancing equality today and into the future
Waters' recognition by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation – and the data from the 2021 CEI – illustrates our commitment to the adoption of critical policies and practices that support our commitment to equality. While we are honored with this recognition, we know there's still work to be done.
We look forward to working together to continue to enable changes needed to enable Waters employees to feel safe and welcomed, and to empower them to pursue their full potential without limitation.
Learn more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion; or read more on Waters' recognition on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 2021 Corporate Equality Index.
