Astellas has received a perfect score again for the eighth consecutive year, on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's (HRC) annual Corporate Equality Index (the Index), the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality. The Index evaluates 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.

Criteria for being featured in the Index rates falls under four central pillars:

• Non-discrimination policies across business entities;
• Equitable benefits for LGBTQ+ workers and their families;
• Supporting an inclusive culture; and,
• Corporate social responsibility.

Astellas achieved a 100 percent score and the designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality, mirroring its scores and awards from previous years.

Benefits Suite Further Supports LGBTQ+ Employees
Astellas offers a comprehensive suite of gender-neutral benefits to support all employees in caring for themselves and the needs of their children and aging family members. The Astellas StarLife program was recently enhanced to add more fertility benefits to cover all paths to parenthood — adoption, surrogacy, fertility treatments, pregnancy, and more, including virtual visits with family-forming experts, including those with dedicated expertise in LGBTQ+ family-forming. In addition, Astellas now provides employer-sponsored funds to help pay for care, additional gender-neutral paid time off for Parental Leave to allow for more baby bonding, and higher adoption reimbursements.

Together as One (TAO) Employee Impact Group
Our LGBTQ+ Employee Impact Group (EIG), known as Together As One (TAO) is one of our seven active EIGs. Employee Impact Groups and their ally networks bolster our culture of inclusion and help to gather insights that allow us to better serve patients and our communities. Also, Together as One annually organizes Astellas’ Ally Week, which encourages colleagues to support the LGBTQ+ community by taking an Ally Pledge and attending an informational Allyship webinar. Taking the Ally Pledge is a commitment to be informed, visible and vocal. In 2021, 541 employees (almost 20 percent of our US employees) signed the Ally Pledge with 70% of those pledges being first-timers.

TAO also partnered with Astellas to develop Gender Transition Guidelines, which provide guidelines to as well as employee benefits that may help colleagues who are transitioning with the support of Astellas. They also provide managers a tool on how to best support employees as they are transitioning and serve as champions to the LGBTQ+ community.

At Astellas, we prioritize cultivating a culture that embraces diverse beliefs, backgrounds and ideas to foster innovative health solutions. Our inclusive workplace is designed to demonstrate respect and encouragement for all employees to build a foundation where everybody can succeed. We believe that continued focus on Diversity & Inclusion drives a stronger, more successful business. That’s what being an ally is about.

To learn more about Astellas’ LGBTQ+ initiatives, visit https://astellascareers.jobs/lgbtq/.