Kroger earns award for DEI efforts for fifth year in a row

The Kroger Co. says it recently received a top score on the Disability Equality Index, an objective, reflective, forward-thinking and confidential disability rating tool designed to assist businesses in advancing inclusion practices.

The Disability Equality Index scores companies in five categories: culture and leadership, enterprise-wide access, employment practices, community engagement and supplier diversity, according to a news release. Participating companies are scored from 0 to 100, and those receiving 80 or higher earn “Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion.”

Kroger said it earned a maximum score of 100 and the title of “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion" for the fifth year in a row.

"Kroger is committed to providing an inclusive workplace where associates of all abilities and backgrounds can truly thrive," Tim Massa, senior vice president and chief people officer, said in a release. "Consistently earning this distinction is a testament to our associates and the environment we've created together."

The Disability Equality Index is a joint initiative of Disability:IN and the American Association of People with Disabilities and is acknowledged as a comprehensive disability inclusion assessment tool. It is designed to help companies build a roadmap of measurable, tangible actions they can take to achieve disability inclusion and equality, the release said.

"Each associate brings their own set of abilities, encompassing diverse skillsets and backgrounds,” Buffy Turner, director for end-to-end fresh and executive adviser to the Our Abilities associate resource group at Kroger, said in the release. “Kroger embraces the opportunity for associates to learn from one another and grow together.”

Kroger said it has been recognized by Handshake for excellence in early career hiring, named a best workplace for diverse professionals by Mogul, earned recognition from Newsweek as One of America's Greatest Workplaces for Diversity and ranked among Computerworld's Top 100 best places to work in IT.