Food Lion Earns Perfect Score in Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index

Omnichannel Retailer Scores 100% for 13th Consecutive Year in LGBTQ+ Workplace Equality

SALISBURY, N.C., Jan. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Food Lion, an omnichannel retailer serving towns and cities across 10 states, today announced that it again received a top score of 100% on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index (CEI). The CEI is the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ+ workplace equality.

"Food Lion has an enduring commitment to create a sense of belonging for our associates, customers and communities,” said Linda Johnson, Chief Human Resources & Communications Officer at Food Lion. “Through our policies and practices, we continually foster a diverse and inclusive environment where our associates are encouraged to be their authentic selves. We are proud to once again be recognized as a best place to work which reaffirms our continuous focus on this important work.”

The CEI rates companies on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars:

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

Food Lion’s commitment to this important work in all four pillars earned the retailer a 100% rating and the designation as one of the Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality.

“I’ve seen firsthand how Food Lion proactively supports and prioritizes LGBTQ+ equality in the workplace and have always felt that I belong at Food Lion,” said Maryja Mee, category merchandising pricing analyst and chairperson of the Food Lion’s LGBTQ+ Friends Business Resource Group, which is comprised of associates from across the company who ensure the organization’s commitment to equality is brought to life. “The diversity of our associates is representative of the diversity of the towns and cities we serve. This helps strengthen the connection we have to our communities.”

“When the Human Rights Campaign Foundation created the Corporate Equality Index 20 years ago, we dreamed that LGBTQ+ workers – from the factory floor to corporate headquarters, in big cities and small towns – could have access to the policies and benefits needed to thrive and live life authentically,” said Jay Brown, Human Rights Campaign Senior Vice President of Programs, Research and Training. “We are proud that the Corporate Equality Index paved the way to that reality for countless LGBTQ+ workers in America and abroad. But there is still more to do, which is why we are raising the bar yet again to create more equitable workplaces and a better tomorrow for LGBTQ+ workers everywhere. Congratulations to Food Lion for achieving the title of ‘best places to work for LGBTQ+ equality’ and working to advance inclusion in the workplace.”

The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.

About Food Lion
Food Lion, based in Salisbury, N.C., since 1957, has more than 1,100 stores in 10 Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic states and employs more than 82,000 associates. By leveraging its longstanding heritage of low prices and convenient locations, Food Lion is working to own the easiest full shop grocery experience in the Southeast, anchored by a strong commitment to affordability, freshness and the communities it serves. Through Food Lion Feeds, the company has donated more than 900 million meals to individuals and families since 2014 and has committed to donate 1.5 billion meals by 2025. Food Lion is a company of Ahold Delhaize USA, the U.S. division of Zaandam-based Ahold Delhaize. For more information, visit www.foodlion.com.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3fecbb66-a5b8-4226-82ed-4efbf310c943