New HRC Foundation Research Underscores Strength and Strain of Moment on LGBTQ+ Workers & Future Liability to Companies

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation (HRCF) released its 2026 State of the Workplace for LGBTQ+ Americans and Corporate Equality Index (CEI) report, offering a comprehensive look at how today’s employer policies, practices, and transparency are shaping the experiences of LGBTQ+ workers. The 2026 State of the Workplace report covers a period of intense political threats related to diversity and inclusion, with business leaders balancing regulatory uncertainty alongside growing expectations of employees, shareholders, and consumers to maintain commitments. 

HRC Foundation’s State of the Workplace finds that:

• More than half of workers (54.2%) at organizations that scaled back diversity and inclusion efforts reported experiencing stigma or bias in the past year; more than double the rate (24.9%) of workers at organizations that maintained inclusion practices. 

The shifted workplace climate for LGBTQ+ workers carries implications for business performance. 

• More than eight in ten U.S. workers (86.0%) who described their workplace as hostile also reported being at risk of leaving their job and 
• Nearly half of LGBTQ+ workers who reported being at risk of leaving their job (47.9%) also reported declines in productivity 

Meanwhile HRCF’s research shows companies with leading and transparent LGBTQ+ inclusive policies and practices have an average net income more than eight times higher than their peers.

HRC Foundation’s 2026 Corporate Equality Index results reflect the realities of this moment. The research tool provides employers clear criteria for inclusive LGBTQ+ policies and practices and is open to major U.S. companies both in the Fortune 500 and beyond. This year we found:

• While in total, 2026 CEI-rated companies employ over 22 million U.S. employees (22,091,887), fewer employers chose to publicly document their practices through CEI submissions, with a 65% drop among Fortune 500 companies this year (from 377 Fortune 500 companies in 2025 to 131 in 2026), many of whom hold federal contracts;
• At the same time, 534 companies earned a score of 100 and will be honored with HRC Foundation’s Equality 100 Award as Leaders in LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion, collectively representing nearly 6 million U.S. employees. 
• Year‑over‑year analysis of 2025 and 2026 submissions show that implementation of policies and practices measured by the CEI was sustained or increased, with no declines across any criterion.

“The data makes clear that many LGBTQ+ workers are feeling less safe and less certain about their place at work,” said RaShawn Hawkins, SHRM-SCP, Senior Director of Workplace Equality at the HRC Foundation. “In that environment, the Corporate Equality Index is far more than a score on paper — it’s a tool HR leaders rely on to navigate uncertainty, support LGBTQ+ workers, and communicate clearly at a time when employees are looking for signals they can trust. Our goal is to work in partnership with companies, and the CEI provides benchmarking, education, and resources that help employers strengthen workplace culture, build trust with their workforce, and compete for and retain top talent.”

The full 2026 State of the Workplace report and Corporate Equality Index is available online at www.hrc.org/cei and an executive summary can be found here.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) people, with 3.6 million members and supporters. The HRC Foundation (a 501(c)(3)) works to ensure LGBTQ+ people are safe, seen and supported where it matters most: at school, at work and in every community across the country. From the courtroom to the classroom, from Congress to corporate America, HRC and the HRC Foundation build power through partnerships, storytelling, and action—working to create a future rooted in equity, freedom and belonging for all LGBTQ+ people.