Forest City Expands Non-Discrimination Policies to Include Gender Identity and Expression

DECEMBER 2014: Following a productive dialogue between Trillium Asset Management and real estate developer, Forest City (NYSE: FCE.A) on the issue of workplace protections, Forest City amended its Equal Employment Opportunity policy to include gender identity and gender expression as protected categories.
They company’s policy on now states:
Forest City is committed in policy and practice to providing equal employment opportunities for all applicants and associates, based upon their training, experience and overall qualifications. Consistent with this commitment, discrimination against an applicant or associate based upon the individual’s race, color, creed, religion, sex, gender, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, marital or familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, military status, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other condition or characteristic protected by law is strictly prohibited.
Despite the growing acceptance of allowing same-sex marriage in the U.S., LGBT workers still face legal uncertainty when it comes to workplace discrimination. The White House Executive Order 13672, signed in August 2014, will offer gender identity and gender expression protections to federal contractors, however, there are no federal laws expressly prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in the workplace. Additionally, state and local laws are not comprehensive or consistent with respect to prohibiting employment discrimination.
By developing a consistent corporate-wide policy Forest City enhances its efforts to prevent discrimination, and hire and retain the best talent. Trillium commends the Company for joining the growing ranks of companies guaranteeing equal opportunity for all employees. Forest City is well-positioned to strengthen its competitive edge.

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