[Note: This profile is part of a series about some local businesses that have scored perfectly on HRC'S Corporate Equality Index.]
Leo Burnett Worldwide, Inc. is one of a number of companies and firms with headquarters in and around Chicago ( out of a total of 366 nationwide ) to achieve a 100 percent score on the Human Rights Campaign's ( HRC ) Corporate Equality Index ( CEI ) and earn the distinction of "Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality" this past year. This is the second year in a row that the company has received a perfect score on HRC's CEI.
One of the many ways that Leo Burnett achieves its perfect score is through its employee resource group, Égalité ( the French word for equality ) which was formed in 2012 in New York City and brought to Chicago later that year. Égalité is the employee resource group for LGBT professionals among Publicis Groupe, Leo Burnett's Paris-based parent company. Publicis Groupe is the third largest holding company in the world and counts Razorfish, Digitas, Saatchi & Saatchi and Optimedia among its many other holdings.
Égalité has 1,000 members nationally and around 200 members in Chicago. Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle also have Égalité chapters and Philadelphia will be added to that list later this year.
The president of Égalité Chicago is Scott Bartosiewicz, account supervisor at Leo Burnett. He joined Égalité shortly after it launched in Chicago and later joined the board as the social committee chairperson. In mid-2013, Bartosiewicz was asked to co-chair the board and in early 2015 he took over as president of the board.
"Being a part of Égalité has meant much to me personally, but having this resource means even more to me as an employee. Égalité puts an important stake in the ground as far as the kind of inclusive environment that exists here," said Bartosiewicz. "I'm fortunate enough to work in an environment where I'm able to bring my authentic self to work every day without fear of discrimination, harassment or injustice so I'm able to focus on the passion I have for my work. That may sound like second nature to some, but sadly too many people face a much harsher reality every day in the workplace."
"Everyone from peers to senior management to executive leaders has shown incredible support and endorsement for our programs, initiatives and events as well as critical advocacy for the bigger causes near and dear to the LGBT community," said Bartosiewicz. "It's honestly an environment you always dream of working in where your passions and individuality are not only respected, but celebrated."
Égalité Chicago's executive sponsor is LGBT ally Rich Stoddart, Leo Burnett's CEO. Stoddart noted that when he was asked to be Égalité Chicago's executive sponsor he said yes right away. Stoddart also signed the collective Publicis Groupe agency letter authored by Égalité to have trans surgery benefits included in their employee benefits package. That inclusion was instrumental in moving Leo Burnett's score from a 90 percent in 2012 to a perfect score the following year.
"I decided to sponsor Égalité Chicago because when I was 16 my dad came out as a gay man which was kind of hard and an interesting time. My whole intent here is that I watched a man who lived his entire life with this secret and not being who he was," said Stoddart. "I don't think that's right and don't want it to happen to anyone else."
Stoddart explained that the business they are in is one of creativity and ideas so they don't think diversity, inclusion and equality in the workplace is a nice thing to do they think it's a business imperative.
"We believe that because diversity of thought and point of view creates the kind of friction, collisions and frankly brilliant ideas that creates a great product for us. We are hired by our clients to think of things that no one has ever thought of before and the more diverse and inclusive our workplace is the more valuable our product becomes," said Stoddart. "Two of our clients have recognized this commitment with their advertising effortsAllstate and Hallmark."
Égalité' Chicago board members include Bartosiewicz and Stoddart as well as Ken Gilberg ( vice-president/executive producer ), Lisa Ivy ( strategist ) and Daniel Spadaro ( strategist ). They are among a number of board members representing Publicis Groupe holdings with offices in Chicago.
"I was a founding member of the Chicago chapter of Égalité," Gilberg. "I joined because I want Leo Burnett to be a place where LGBT employees and prospective employees feel appreciated for their talents and uniqueness. I also think having a strong employee resource group gives LGBT employees and their allies a pipeline into management that makes our presence known and our skills seen as valuable assets to the company."
"I see employee resource groups as lifestyle communities that bring people of similar and different perspectives together to support the greater company culture," Ivy. "I joined Égalité to become a part of niche group of people that believe and advocates the idea of equality."
"I joined Égalité to be part of a larger cause within Leo Burnett," Spadaro. "I wanted to be able to create change not only within our walls but in our industry. Having Égalité at Leo is truly invaluable and has left a lasting impact on me."
Bartosiewicz explained that Égalité Chicago doesn't hold traditional meetings. They come together at events which take place about once or twice a month.
"We've developed a great mix of programming which includes a tent pole event each quarter which might be a speaking panel or bigger-scale event like the AIDS Run & Walk, supplemented by smaller more specific events like networking happy hours or volunteering events," said Bartosiewicz. "The board meets monthly to plan and refine our programming and ensure our resources are delivering against our objectives and the needs of our members."
Some of Égalité's national events are the aforementioned AIDS Run & Walk, Spirit Day, the Out & Equal conference and local pride events in each city. Égalité Chicago's events include Four Color Process which is an exploration of specific topics important to LGBT employees and the community at large, Pride Brunch and Movies in the Park as well as Pride Month activities. Égalité Chicago, led by Leo Burnett, was the number one fundraiser for the 2014 AIDS Run & Walk Chicago where they raised about $30,000 for the cause.
"I've made new friends that I didn't know before I got involved with Égalité," said Stoddart. "I think the best thing is the programming. This past spring we had Christina Kahrl interviewing Jeffrey Tambor from the Amazon show Transparent with 250 people from our agency sitting there transfixed by a level of conversation about trans equality that frankly we hadn't talked about before."
As for the future of the group, Bartosiewicz said they are launching their first-ever LGBT internship program this summer to help cultivate the next generation of LGBT talent. Bartosiewicz explained that they've been able to leverage pro bono opportunities such as their work on the upcoming PrEP campaign with the AIDS Foundation of Chicago.
"What's been the most exciting for us is to watch is how this isn't so hard to do but there's a lot of work that still needs to be done on a lot of different fronts," said Stoddart. " If it's one thing companies are transfixed by these days is finding ways to retain Millennials as employees. Millennials are deeply engaged in, appreciative and on board with what we are doing here with regards to Égalité and LGBT benefits. I'm really excited by what we have going on here. I think the HRC thing is fantastic but it's frankly a validation of a lot of hard work from a lot of individuals who make a difference and that's the coolest part about our perfect score."
See www.pgegalite.com and www.leoburnett.us/chicago for more information.