Today we are excited to announce Cloudflare has been named a “Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality” by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). This designation was earned by receiving a perfect score of 100 percent on the HRC’s 2021 Corporate Equality Index. The Corporate Equality Index (CEI) is a nationally recognized benchmarking tool that assesses the inclusivity of corporate policies, practices, and benefits for LGBTQIA+ employees.
Cloudflare’s mission is to “help build a better Internet”. An essential factor that helps us deliver on this mission is our people. When you are solving some of the toughest problems facing the Internet for users worldwide, you need talented individuals that contribute unique outlooks. We strive to build a workplace where our entire team feels comfortable and excited to bring their true authentic selves so they can do their best work.
2021 is the first year Cloudflare has been listed on the Index, but we have been paving this path for quite some time. Back in 2017 a few Cloudflare employees chartered Proudflare, Cloudflare’s first-ever Employee Resource Group (ERG). Proudflare serves as a community space for LGBTQIA+ employees and allies. Check out our Proudflare Launch blog to learn more on that process! Proudflare hosts educational events, celebrates LGBTQIA+ folks, and advocates for equality in the workplace and beyond. In 2019, right around the same time Cloudflare surpassed 500 full-time US-based employees, a requirement to be included in the CEI, a group of members took a look at how equitably LGBTQIA+ folks are represented in our policies, practices, and benefits.
As we set our sights on the CEI, it wasn’t enough for us to be included. In typical Cloudflare fashion, we set a lofty goal. If we were going to be listed we would hold ourselves accountable for being a truly inclusive workplace and receive the best score, of 100. This goal forced us to be diligent, proactive, and thoughtful. We organized a team of individuals across Proudflare, the Benefits, Legal, Facilities, Recruiting, and People teams, which led to the creation of some incredible new resources for employees.
The CEI ranking takes into account workforce protections (for sexual orientation and gender identity), inclusive benefits (equivalency for same and different sex spouses and domestic partners, and equal health coverage for transgender individuals) and specific guidelines around internal training for new hires and managers (that cover nondiscrimination, gender identity, sexual orientation) and best practices (such as gender transition guidelines) as well as efforts to recruit and reach out to the wider LGBTQIA+ community. The full report is here and includes details of everything that went into achieving the perfect 100 score.
Looking ahead, we will strive to maintain this score and continue to challenge ourselves to make Cloudflare an ever more inclusive place to work.