Benefitfocus believes in equality and equity across race, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, ability, ethnicity and nationality. We condemn all forms of racism and injustice. We proudly stand with and for our BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) and LGBTQIA+ associates, and we unequivocally and wholeheartedly know that Black lives matter.
In 2020, we committed to making an institutional change within our walls and within our communities. We established a Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Council at Benefitfocus, and working alongside our associates, Benefitfocus:
- Shifted Martin Luther King Jr. Day to a paid company holiday
- Hosted and participated in sessions on belonging, and women in leadership
- Launched LinkedIn Learning internally to drive professional development in this area
- Took steps toward building a more diverse executive leadership team and board of directors
- Offered customer events with industry experts focused on improving health equity
- Led customer roundtable discussions on diversity and inclusion
- Fostered greater awareness around neurodiversity topics
- Made donations to organizations on behalf of Juneteenth, military veterans and LGBTQ Pride Month
- Participated in discussions with South Carolina-based HBCUs in pursuit of implementing a diversity hiring plan
- Expanded the company Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Executive Council by 100 percent
We are committed to providing a diverse and inclusive culture, in which fairness and equity help facilitate a sense of belonging. Benefitfocus will be a place of respect, a place for equality, and a place where, together, we overcome our biases and work as one, united community. We will work to achieve greater diversity at all levels in the company, and we recognize the advantage of having unique and diverse perspectives. We continue to improve, and are fully committed to this growth and development. In the next year, we pledge to:
- Roll out unconscious bias training for all associates and leaders
- Engage in the conversation internally and externally
- Encourage associates to use proper identity pronouns as a part of our culture
- Further develop our LinkedIn Learning course path
- Hold diversity, inclusion and belonging panels internally and externally
- Expand our Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Executive Council to include ambassadors and advocates who further the mission of the council
- Launch Employee Resource Groups that represent our associate population
- Continually listen, learn and evolve
We know an inclusive environment for learning is a powerful catalyst: one where minds are open to embrace and encourage differences, hearts are open to understand perspectives, and doors are open to pursue possibilities. We believe our collective experience will improve our present and our future, and we want our associates to be proud of the company they work for.
We invite you to hold us accountable to our words and our commitments. We want you to see a clear difference in the way we carry ourselves as a company and as individuals as we move toward becoming the change we want to see in the world. We are committed to our mission to improve lives with benefits, and we are equally committed to embrace the diversity and uniqueness of everyone needed to move this mission forward.