Alongside pride and institutionalized chapters, the data on the ground is concerning: 35% fear harm to promotion, and a quarter of employers refuse to employ transgender people.
Who are the companies leading LGBT equality in Israel? A record number of organizations won the LGBTWORK seal of approval, yet the non-profit organization also points out significant challenges and difficulties faced by members of the pride community in the Israeli employment market, and the negative impact of the trend of reducing diversity and inclusion programs in the US (DEI) under the Trump administration.
24 companies and organizations won the seal of approval of the LGBTWORK non-profit organization for equality in employment for the pride community this year, which is the highest number since the index began. Alongside the progress, the report published today (Thursday) also points to a worrying reality: One out of every three LGBT employees still hides their identity in the workplace, and 35% fear that their sexual or gender identity will harm their professional promotion.
The LGBTWORK index for 2026, which is published, examines the policy of companies in Israel regarding equality, diversity and inclusion of employees from the pride community. This year companies from a wide variety of fields participated – high-tech, finance, health, real estate, law, industry and the public sector, with 24 of them meeting the strict criteria and winning the seal of approval of the non-profit organization.
The data shows that while 54% of the participating companies come from the high-tech sector, a significant expansion is also recorded in the finance, health, industry, real estate and public sector branches. The non-profit organization emphasizes that this is a significant change compared to the first years of the index, in which mainly technology companies participated.
So who are the leading companies? At the Platinum seal of approval level, the highest rank, which is awarded to companies that have implemented diversity values as an integral part of the corporate DNA and presented perfect performance in all sections of the index, the winners were:
At the Gold seal of approval level, awarded to companies that become a role model in the field. These companies demonstrate uncompromising leadership in promoting equality, with a nurturing organizational culture that empowers the pride community at all levels of the organization:
At the Silver seal of approval level, awarded to companies that prove an advanced commitment to the community, which is evident in active investment in diverse recruitment, training for managers and fostering a supportive organizational culture:
At the Bronze seal of approval level, recognizes companies that have established a solid infrastructure to support proud employees, with clear anti-discrimination policies, and initial initiatives to promote equality in the workplace:
Alongside the progress, the report reveals that the reality in the labor market is still complex:
• One out of every three LGBT employees hides their identity, at least partially.
• 35% fear that their identity will harm their professional promotion.
• 40% of employees on the trans spectrum reported that they experienced harassment in the workplace.
• Only about 20% of those who experienced harassment chose to file a complaint.
• 1 out of 4 employers refuses in advance to employ transgender people.
• Only 20% of victims of harassment in workplaces dared to complain.
The companies that won in the index are committed to a series of practical steps:
• 95.8% grant full rights also to the parent who is not the one giving birth.
• More than 91% operate an orderly procedure for accompanying employees in a gender transition process.
• Two thirds of the companies already operate "proud chapters" of employees.
• 23 out of 24 companies appointed a person responsible for the pride community issue or for the field of diversity and inclusion (DEI).
In order to deal with these data, the companies that won in the index were required to present active action. An absolute majority of them (95.8%) already grant full benefits to the parent who did not give birth, and over 91% currently hold an orderly institutional procedure for accompanying an employee in a process of gender transition. A dramatic leap was also recorded in the institutionalization and permanent budgeting of "proud chapters" (employee communities) within the companies – from only 11% last year, to 66.7% this year (15 out of 24 companies).
Sari Yerushalmi, CEO of LGBTWORK, said that "This year we feel very well the effects of the global trend from the US, leading to the reduction of DEI programs in some of the international giant companies. But despite the international challenges and the difficult war at home, the Israeli economy demonstrates courageous local leadership. Organizations understand today more than ever that they are an island of sanity and a safety net for their employees. The painful data about hiding in the closet and the rise in violence make it clear that it is impossible to sit on the fence. We call on more companies and organizations to join us to play a leading role and serve as an example, and salute the 24 companies that courageously chose full equality."
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