Business Sector
Since homosexuality is still a sensitive taboo issue in Hong Kong, discrimination based on sexual orientation in the corporate sector is pervasive. LGBT employees are often victims of various levels of discrimination or harassment. Most companies do not include sexual orientation in their diversity and inclusion policies. And, with no legislation protecting LGBT employees, the situation is far from being resolved satisfactorily. This is also true for multinational corporations. Although a lot of US- or Europe-based companies in Hong Kong may have non-discrimination policies protecting their LGBT employees in their home countries, most of them do not adopt such practices in Hong Kong. Such a phenomenon makes many local employees and even expatriates vulnerable targets for discrimination.
For years, advocate groups have worked to promote and advance the extension of non-discrimination policies in the corporate sector for LGBT minorities. Only a limited number of multinational companies have explicitly embraced such policies, namely Goldman Sachs and IBM. Only a handful of local and China-based companies have extended non-discrimination protection to LGBT employees, including blue-chip stock companies.
The following table shows sexual orientation non-discrimination practices of these Hong Kong companies as of 3 March 2012.
Stock Code | Hong Kong Hang Seng Index Constituents (Blue Chip Stocks) | Publicly Accessible Statements or Policies For Hong Kong Workplace | Notes | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Equal Opportunity Employer | A List of Anti-discrimination Except for Sexual Orientation | A List of Anti-discrimination Including Sexual Orientation | ||||
0001 | Cheung Kong (Holdings) Ltd | Website | ||||
0002 | CLP Holdings Ltd | Website | Website | |||
0003 | Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited | |||||
0004 | Wharf (Holdings) Ltd | Website | Website | |||
0005 | HSBC Holdings plc | Website | Website | |||
0006 | Hong Kong Electric Holdings Ltd | Website | Website | Website | As of 3 March 2012, the Chinese version of the statement uses the phrase “sexual preference”. This may potentially indicate the company’s view on whether or not one’s sexuality is a choice. | |
0011 | Hang Seng Bank Ltd | Website | Website | |||
0012 | Henderson Land Development Co. Ltd | |||||
0013 | Hutchison Whampoa Ltd | Publication | Publication | |||
0016 | Sun Hung Kai Properties Ltd | Publication | Publication | |||
0017 | New World Development Co. Ltd. | |||||
0019 | Swire Pacific Ltd | Code of Conduct | Code of Conduct | Code of Conduct | ||
0023 | Bank of East Asia, Ltd | Publication | Publication | |||
0066 | MTR Corporation Ltd | Code of Conduct | Code of Conduct | |||
0083 | Sino Land Co Ltd | |||||
0101 | Hang Lung Properties Ltd | |||||
0144 | China Merchants Holdings (International) Co Ltd | |||||
0151 | Want Want China Holdings Ltd | |||||
0267 | CITIC Pacific Ltd | Publication | ||||
0291 | China Resources Enterprise, Ltd | |||||
0293 | Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd | Publication | Publication | Publication | The company also has its own Vendors' Code of Conduct and forbids sexual orientation discrimination in its vendors' work environment; otherwise, the company may choose a different vendor. | |
0322 | Tingyi (Cayman Islands) Holding Corp | |||||
0330 | Esprit Holdings Ltd | Publication | Publication | Publication | The Chinese version of the statement uses the phrase “sexual preference”. This may potentially indicate the company’s view on whether or not one’s sexuality is a choice. | |
0386 | Sinopec Corp | Website | Website | Publication | The list of anti-discrimination on the website does not include sexual orientation, but it is included in the Sustainability Report. This may potentially indicate inconsistency in enforcing relevant policies or poor communication within the company. | |
0388 | HKEx Limited | HR Manual | HR Manual | HR Manual | ||
0494 | Li & Fung Ltd | Publication | Publication | Publication | The company also has its own Vendors' Code of Conduct and forbids sexual orientation discrimination in its vendor' work environment; otherwise, the company may choose a different vendor. | |
0688 | China Overseas Land & Investment Limited | |||||
0700 | Tencent Holdings Limited | |||||
0762 | China Unicom Ltd | |||||
0836 | China Resources Power | |||||
0857 | PetroChina Company Limited | Website | Website | |||
0883 | CNOOC Ltd | Publication | Publication | Publication | ||
0939 | China Construction Bank | |||||
0941 | China Mobile Ltd | Publication | Publication | |||
1044 | Hengan International Group Co. Ltd | |||||
1088 | China Shenhua Energy Company Limited | |||||
1109 | China Resources Land Limited | |||||
1199 | COSCO Pacific Ltd | |||||
1299 | American International Assurance | |||||
1398 | Industrial and Commercial Bank of China | |||||
1880 | Belle International | |||||
1898 | China Coal Energy | |||||
2318 | Ping An Insurance | |||||
2388 | BOC Hong Kong (Holdings) Ltd | Publication | Publication | |||
2600 | Aluminum Corporation of China Limited | |||||
2628 | China Life | |||||
3328 | Bank of Communications Ltd | |||||
3988 | Bank of China Ltd | Publication | Publication |
Read more about this topic: LGBT Rights In Hong Kong, Living Conditions
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