We firmly believe that working in a culture focused on diversity, equity and inclusion spurs innovation, creates healthy and high-performing teams, and delivers superior customer experiences. Our diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives prompt associate participation and engagement, aligning with our core vision to reflect the communities where we do business. Williams-Sonoma, Inc. provides equal opportunity for all associates and no associate may be discriminated against due to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin, age, marital or veteran status, or disability.
We outline the details of our approach to diversity, equity and inclusion in the following statements:
Board Gender & Diversity
Our Board is comprised of individuals qualified to advise our executive team based on their skills, knowledge, experience and areas of expertise. We believe that it is important for our Board to be diverse, and within the scope of diversity, we include gender, age, race, sexual orientation and culture, as well as diversity of abilities, expertise and perspectives. We’re proud to have above-average gender parity on our Board, with 50%+ women Directors.
As our company evolves, we see opportunity to further diversify representation at all levels of leadership. In identifying the most qualified individuals as candidates for Board membership, the Nominations, Corporate Governance and Social Responsibility Committee will seek to attain diversity in the composition of the Board in a way that reflects our associates and communities.
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is committed to an ongoing process of developing new and additional company-wide initiatives to benefit our associates at all levels of the company, and we review and report on our progress to our stakeholders on an annual basis.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
In June 2020, we formed an Equity Action Committee and launched an Equity Action Plan outlining a set of actions we’ve committed to in the fight for racial justice and equality:
- Philanthropic support and long-term partnerships with non-profit organizations that advocate for racial justice and equity.
- Increasing Black representation across our company, and among our vendors, partners and collaborators.
- Reinforcing an internal culture of inclusion and belonging.
We’re continually tracking and publishing our progress in our annual impact reports.
Williams-Sonoma, Inc. is a member of CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, where we announced a goal to “Identify and establish associate networks for underrepresented communities to promote diversity and inclusion throughout the company.” Led by associate feedback, we formed an LGBTQ+ Alliance and a Veteran’s Appreciation Network in 2015, followed by the WSI Black Associate Network in 2016. These networks have received overwhelmingly positive responses from our annual Associate Opinion Surveys. Ambassadors of these programs were instrumental in organizing celebrations for Pride and Veteran’s Day, as well as annual company-wide volunteering for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. In 2019, we celebrated our 3rd MLK Day of Service and participated in Pride celebrations across the globe.
As signatories of CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, we also continually:
- Make our workplaces trusting places to have complex, and sometimes difficult, conversations about diversity & inclusion.
- Implement and expand unconscious bias education and training.
- Share best, and unsuccessful, practices by reporting on our successes and challenges.
LGBTQ+ Equality
We believe in the power of community and respect for all. By advocating for equal rights and fair treatment of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual, Queer, Asexual and Intersex people everywhere, we strengthen and support our own community of associates and customers. In 2018, we signed onto the UN Free & Equal Campaign for LGBTQ+ rights, and we were awarded the Corporate Equality Award from the Human Rights Campaign. In 2019, we extended our benefits package to include Transgender benefits, including gender confirmation surgery and hormonal therapy within all our insurance plans and all our carriers. In 2020, we enhanced our Parental Leave Program to provide increased paid time off for primary caregivers due to birth or adoption of a child, and we introduced paid time off for secondary caregivers. In 2021, we joined the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index. Through policies that protect people who identify as LGBTQ+ from discriminatory actions in our workplace, along with our ongoing efforts to support LGBTQ+ groups and community events, we advance a high global standard for equality and inclusion.
Gender Equality
We benefit from the participation of men or women across all areas of our company. Associate benefits — including family leave — are designed to help associates grow, personally and professionally, while caring for their families and building a secure future. We continually rank among top companies for female leadership; we appeared on Forbes’ list of Best Employers for Women 2019-2022 and on their list of Best Employers for Diversity in 2020-2023. This focus on equality extends from our corporate offices to our stores to our supply chain. In partnership with Business for Social Responsibility’s (BSR) HERproject, we have empowered workers across our supply chain through workplace-based programs on family health, financial inclusion and gender equality.
Executive Leadership
A UC Davis Study of California Women Business Leaders named Williams-Sonoma, Inc. California’s #1 company for female leadership in their most recent study (2015), with the highest percentage reported by any company in the 11 years they have been researching women in business. Since then, we’ve continued to be a beacon for women leaders. More than 50% of our executive positions at the VP level and above are occupied by women and over 50% of our board members are women.
Related Policies
Hero Image: West Elm