NORTHBROOK, Ill., March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- For the fifth consecutive year, Astellas has achieved a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's (HRC) annual Corporate Equality Index (the Index).

"Achieving a perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index five years in a row is a true testament to Astellas' focus on diversity and inclusion and our efforts to build a culture of equity for our LGBTQ employees and allies in the workplace," said Eloiza Domingo-Snyder, executive director, Diversity & Inclusion. "We strive to be a leader in D&I, and this recognition highlights that commitment."

The Index evaluates a company's LGBTQ-related policies and practices including domestic partner benefits, non-discrimination workplace protections, competency programs, transgender-inclusive health care benefits and public engagement with the LGBTQ community. Astellas achieved a 100 percent ranking and the designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality, echoing similar rankings achieved from 2015-2018.

Astellas' benefits cover all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) employees and their spouses or domestic partners. Coverage includes the company's StarLife Family Care Solutions, a program that embraces the broader needs of employees from child to elder care offerings, among other benefits.

Astellas also supports its LGBTQ employees and their allies through an active employee resource group (ERG), known as Together as One (TAO). The company annually celebrates inclusion by participating in the Chicago Pride Parade, and branched out globally by joining the London Pride Parade for the first time in 2018. Astellas shows its support for the LGBTQ community by flying the Pride flag outside its Americas headquarters during Pride Month and the Transgender Pride flag for the entire week preceding National Transgender Awareness Day. Last year, Astellas launched an Ally curriculum and resource guide to help employees build their skills as LGBTQ allies.

Astellas also works with multiple external partners to positively impact the LGBTQ community. In the last year, many employees used their paid volunteer time off to help refurbish El Rescate, a shelter for homeless LGBTQ youth in the Chicago area. As part of Pride Month, an employee giving campaign provided much-needed materials for residents of the shelter – everything from new bedding to cookware.

For more information on Astellas, visit www.astellas.com/us.

About HRC Corporate Equality Index
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 Astellas
Astellas is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products. For more information on Astellas, please visit our website at www.astellas.com/us. You can also follow us on Twitter at @AstellasUS, Facebook at www.facebook.com/AstellasUS or LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/astellas-pharma.

SOURCE Astellas