Kimco Realty Corp.
From its beginning over 60 years ago, teamwork, collaboration and inclusion have been core values at Kimco. Over the years, the company has been recognized numerous times for its unique work environment and positive culture, including the Great Place to Work recognition, all of which have been directly tied to employee sentiment through anonymous independent surveys.
And while we’re very proud of these external endorsements, we never want to get complacent. We recognize that we should always strive to improve the employee experience and be an even better company for which to work. To that end, in 2019, Kimco formed a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee to create company-wide awareness and involvement.
The DEI Committee is made up of employee volunteers, across all disciplines of the company, who aspire to contribute by making a difference not only in the workplace but in the communities in which we live and operate our shopping centers as well as the REIT industry generally.
From the onset, the DEI Committee set out to establish a set of goals, some internal while others external, and each one has become a guiding strategic focus in furthering our DEI programs. Among those goals was working toward achieving a 100% score on the Human Rights Campaign CEI, demonstrating Kimco’s strong commitment to LGBTQ+ equality.
In reviewing the Human Rights Campaign CEI scoring criteria, our DEI team took notice of opportunities to make improvements to Kimco’s benefit programs and written policies that would signify to all associates, including those who identify as LGBTQ+, that equality exists in all aspects of employment at Kimco.
Among the changes were modifications to the definition of family under the company’s medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans, the addition of transgender surgery as covered services under the company’s benefit plans and clarifying in writing a long-standing practice of recognizing domestic partners as spouses under the company’s leave programs.
Beyond the workplace, during Pride month in June 2021, the DEI Committee launched an external community-focused campaign focused on supporting the LGBTQ+ community. The team promoted inclusive LGBTQ+ equity messaging at key Kimco shopping centers and brought that messaging to the company’s social media channels, all of which resulted in recognition and positive appreciation in the community. The company also showed its support by making a financial contribution to the Trevor project, the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ children and their families.
It’s been exciting to see DEI evolve over the last several years, transitioning from what had been largely a human resources initiative to now spurring company-wide involvement as well as boardroom oversight. We’re now actively exploring DEI with an expanded group of stakeholders, starting with our supplier base. Our first step is collecting information on both self-identification and official certification for diverse-owned businesses, including LGBTQ+.
At Kimco, we’re steadfastly committed to embracing different perspectives and broadening our DEI reach such that we continue to demonstrate leadership for our associates, the communities in which we operate, our stakeholders, and the broader REIT industry. It’s through a diverse set of people that we garner diverse perspectives and grow even stronger as a company.
