Minneapolis, Minn. – The Human Rights Campaign Foundation recently released its annual Corporate Equality Index, which rates companies on specific policies and practices related to equality in the workplace.

General Mills received a perfect 100 percent score on the list, which earned the company the distinction of being one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality.”

To achieve this perfect score, companies must “have fully-inclusive equal employment opportunity policies, provide equal employment benefits, demonstrate organizational LGBT competency, evidence their commitment to equality publicly and exercise responsible citizenship,” according to the HRC.

General Mills has earned an 100 percent perfect rating on the Corporate Equality Index for four of the past five years and six times overall since 2003.

The company has taken several steps, including the creation of a LGBT employee network, Betty’s Family, to create a safe, open and productive work environment for all employees.

Learn more by reading a story posted on General Mills’ blog, A Taste of General Mills, which features a General Mills employee sharing her first-hand perspective on the 2011 rankings from HRC and the importance of an inclusive workplace.

About General Mills
General Mills is one of the world’s leading food companies, operating in more than 100 countries.  Its consumer brands include Cheerios, Häagen-Dazs, Nature Valley, Yoplait, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Progresso and Old El Paso.  Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills had fiscal 2011 net sales of US$14.9 billion.

For more information, contact:

Maerenn Jepsen
General Mills
763-764-6364