Air Products Receives Highest Rating on 2020 Corporate Equality Index

Company Earns 100 Percent on Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 18th Annual Scorecard on LGBTQ Workplace Equality

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Jan 22, 2020, 10:02 ET

LEHIGH VALLEY, Pa., Jan. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Air Products (NYSE:APD), a world-leading industrial gases company, has again earned a perfect score of 100 percent on the Corporate Equality Index (CEI) administered by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation.

CEI is regarded as the nation's premier benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. This is the fourth consecutive year Air Products has earned a perfect CEI score and HRC's distinction of being one of the "Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality."

"We are pleased to have achieved a perfect score from CEI. Building a welcoming, diverse and inclusive workplace is a continual process and we know there will always be more work to do," said Seifi Ghasemi, Chairman, President and CEO at Air Products. "Creating an inclusive environment helps our people, that come from all walks of life and nationalities, and our business succeed. It gives our company a competitive advantage and access to larger pool of talent and ideas."

The CEI rates companies and top law firms on detailed criteria falling under five broad categories:

Non-discrimination policies
Employment benefits
Demonstrated organizational competency and accountability around LGBTQ diversity and inclusion
Public commitment to LGBTQ equality
Responsible citizenship

"The impact of the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index over its 18-year history is profound. In this time, the corporate community has worked with us to adopt LGBTQ-inclusive policies, practices and benefits, establishing the Corporate Equality Index as a primary driving force for LGBTQ workplace inclusion in America and across the globe," said HRC President Alphonso David. "These companies know that protecting their LGBTQ employees and customers from discrimination is not just the right thing to do -- it is also the best business decision."

Air Products continues to drive progress through its Inclusion Network, a coalition of Employee Resource Groups, D&I, HR and senior executives focused on attracting and retaining talent, raising cultural awareness, developing skills, and contributing to the company's diversity and inclusion objectives. The Inclusion Network includes Spectrum, an Air Products Employee Resource Group for LGBT+ employees.

During the past year, Air Products focused on unconscious bias, hosting "Breaking Through the Bias" workshops designed to help employees identify unconscious bias and take steps so it does not impact or distort decision making.

In addition, the company launched other activities, including a panel discussion on transgender inclusion in the workplace and an inclusion challenge, to increase team building and inclusion skills among employees.

Air Products' inclusion on HRC's "Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality" list is the latest recognition for the company's efforts to continue to build the most diverse industrial gas workforce in the world. Air Products was also included in Corporate Responsibility Magazine's (CR Magazine) 100 Best Corporate Citizens List for the eighth consecutive year in 2019.

Additional details on Air Products diversity and inclusion efforts can be found at: http://www.airproducts.com/Company/about-us/diversity-and-inclusion.aspx

For more information on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index, or to download the report, visit: http://www.hrc.org/cei

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

About Air Products
Air Products (NYSE:APD) is a world-leading industrial gases company in operation for nearly 80 years. Focused on serving energy, environment and emerging markets, the Company provides essential industrial gases, related equipment and applications expertise to customers in dozens of industries, including refining, chemical, metals, electronics, manufacturing, and food and beverage. Air Products is also the global leader in the supply of liquefied natural gas process technology and equipment. The Company develops, engineers, builds, owns and operates some of the world's largest industrial gas projects, including gasification projects that sustainably convert abundant natural resources into syngas for the production of high-value power, fuels and chemicals.

The Company had fiscal 2019 sales of $8.9 billion from operations in 50 countries and has a current market capitalization of about $50 billion. More than 17,000 passionate, talented and committed employees from diverse backgrounds are driven by Air Products' higher purpose to create innovative solutions that benefit the environment, enhance sustainability and address the challenges facing customers, communities, and the world. For more information, visit www.airproducts.com.

NOTE: This release may contain forward-looking statements within the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on management's reasonable expectations and assumptions as of the date of this release regarding important risk factors. Actual performance and financial results may differ materially from projections and estimates expressed in the forward-looking statements because of many factors not anticipated by management, including risk factors described in the company's Form 10K for its fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.

SOURCE Air Products