FIGHTING FOR INCLUSION
Anti-immigration and English-only legislation, as well as “defense of marriage” legislation, can make it difficult to recruit new and educated workers and retain good employees. We are proactive in working in the legal system to ensure the communities in which we operate are open and welcoming. We are coming from the perspective of a large Indiana employer with a global and diverse workforce.
Many of Lilly’s employees are scientists, medical doctors, pharmacists, and engineers who are critical to the research and development of new medicines. We recruit worldwide for these highly skilled people in an intensely competitive environment for excellent employees. Our ability to thrive in our home state of Indiana is dependent on an environment that is welcoming.
That’s why we opposed a proposed Indiana law that, among other things, would require that only English be used in official public meetings, documents, and communications from the state. While we were disappointed any version of this bill passed, we were pleased that our advocacy was part of a strong, collective voice that helped improve the final version. Incidentally, we were pleased that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Indiana blocked enforcement of certain aspects of the law, including the English-only provisions.
