City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. today announced that Robert Half International, Inc. has agreed to a New York City Pension Funds’ proposal urging the company to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

“This is the fifth time this shareholder season that one of America’s largest companies has agreed to strengthen anti-discrimination protections as a result of efforts by the New York City Pension Funds,” Thompson said. “Together, we will continue to fight for workplace equity and to ensure that all workers are treated fairly and without bias.”

Robert Half International, a Fortune 500 firm that specializes in professional staffing and consulting services, notified the Comptroller’s Office last week that it has agreed to amend its policies to specifically protect employees on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.

The Comptroller subsequently withdrew the City’s resolution, which had been filed late last year. The Pension Funds have 483,659 shares with a current market share of $17,382,704 in Robert Half International.

Thompson already withdrew four other similar proposals filed this season on behalf of the New York City Employees’ Retirement System (NYCERS), New York City Police Department Pension Fund, New York City Fire Department Pension Fund, New York City Teachers' Retirement System, (TRS) and New York City Board of Education Retirement System.

This year, WESCO of Pittsburg, PA, Advance Auto Parts of Roanoke, VA, Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc. of Cleveland, OH and First Horizon Corporation of Memphis, TN, agreed to amend policies to bar such discrimination. Over the last few years, the Comptroller and Pension Funds successfully have urged about three dozen of America’s largest companies to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression.

In addition to Thompson, the trustees for the Pension Funds are:

NYCERS: New York City Finance Commissioner Martha E. Stark (Chair); New York City Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum; Borough Presidents Scott Stringer (Manhattan), Helen Marshall (Queens), Marty Markowitz (Brooklyn), Adolfo Carrion (Bronx), and James Molinaro (Staten Island); Lillian Roberts, Executive Director, District Council 37, AFSCME; Roger Toussaint, President Transport Workers Union Local 100; and, Gregory Floyd, President, International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Local 237.

TRS: New York City Finance Commissioner Martha E. Stark (Chair); Deputy Chancellor Kathleen Grimm, New York City Department of Education; and, Sandra March, Melvyn Aaronson and Mona Romain, all of the United Federation of Teachers.

Fire Department Pension Fund: Mayor Michael Bloomberg; New York City Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta (Chair); New York City Finance Commissioner Martha E. Stark; Stephen Cassidy, President, James Slevin, Vice President, Robert Straub, Treasurer, and John Kelly, Brooklyn Representative and Chair, Uniformed Firefighters Association of Greater New York; Peter Gorman, President and Captains’ Rep., Nicholas J. Visconti, Chiefs’ Rep., and Stephen J. Carbone, Lieutenants’ Rep., Uniformed Fire Officers Association; and, Joseph Gagliardi, Marine Engineers Assoc.

Police Pension Fund: Mayor Michael Bloomberg; New York City Finance Commissioner Martha E. Stark; New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly (Chair); Patrick Lynch, Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association; Michael Palladino, Detectives Endowment Association; Edwin Mullins, Sergeants Benevolent Association; Anthony Garvey, Lieutenants Benevolent Association; and, John Driscoll, Captains Endowment Assoc.

BERS: mayoral appointees Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, Alan Aviles, Philip Berry, David Chang, Tino Hernandez, Augusta Souza Kappner, Richard Menschel and Marita Regan; Borough President appointees Martine G. Guerrier (Brooklyn), Vivian Farmery (Manhattan), Michael Flowers (Queens), and Joan Correale (Staten Island); and employee members Thomas J. Malanga of the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 891, and Milagros Rodriguez of District Council 37, Local 372.

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