Our founder Jerry Sanders famously said, “People first, products and profit will follow.” This still rings true 47 years later at AMD – where our 8400+ employees around the world are our most valuable resource and are the source of our continued innovation. We know that our success depends on the investment we make in our people and we believe that we are at our best when all of our employees are engaged and empowered to bring their unique talent, perspective, and passion to work every day.
As a technology company, we know that true innovation demands world-class creativity that is only possible by hiring the best and brightest, regardless of their differences, and fostering an environment that includes and accepts everyone.
Today we are proud to announce that AMD has received a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Corporate Equality Index (CEI), making it a “Best Place to Work for LGBT Equality.” The CEI is a benchmarking tool that measures workplace policies and protections for LGBT employees.
This accomplishment is a reflection of our commitment to creating an inclusive work environment and improving our policies, programs, and benefits to better fit the needs of our diverse workforce. We are continually seeking new ways to ensure that all employees know that they are highly valued and that there is a place for everyone at AMD. The work we have done to encourage diversity and inclusion in our workplace leading up to and throughout this year has received recognition from the Texas Diversity Council and the Diversity Journal’s Diversity Leader Award, culminating now in this achievement of scoring a perfect 100 on the CEI.
You might be wondering how we earned this score…here are a few examples:
- Our employee resource group program encourages employees with mutual interests to connect with each other. These groups, which range from our Pride LGBT and Allies group to the AMD Women’s Forum, have become a great opportunity for involvement for many employees and have been instrumental in helping shape our workplace.
- Health benefits are another key focus for us. We have long offered comprehensive health coverage for all employees, including full benefits for domestic partners, and inclusive mental health resources. In 2017, we are introducing a new slate of medical benefits for transgender employees, including coverage for gender reassignment surgery for employees and their dependents.
- AMD is also involved in public initiatives that align with our core values, like the Business Coalition for Equality, which supports the Equality Act, and Texas Competes, a group of Texas-based businesses working toward equality and inclusion. We believe it is important to publically support such efforts to affect change in society.
The diversity of our employees and their experiences and perspectives are essential to everything that we do at AMD. And, while we have made progress toward creating a workplace that is open and inclusive, we know that there is always more work to do.
At a time when unity is more vital than ever, AMD remains committed to bringing people with different backgrounds and ways of thinking together to build life-changing technology. We believe it is crucial to our success as a company, as an employer, and as a corporate citizen.
Ruth Cotter, Chief Human Resources Officer and Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations, AMD. Her postings are her own opinions and may not represent AMD’s positions, strategies or opinions. Links to third party sites are provided for convenience and unless explicitly stated, AMD is not responsible for the contents of such linked sites and no endorsement is implied.
