LNC - A Decade of Progress: Multiple Perspectives Diverse Backgrounds and Community Giving Propel Lincoln Into 2020

Today, Lincoln Financial Group (NYSE: LNC) celebrates recent accolades in corporate responsibility, highlighting the company’s significant efforts to improve the lives of its customers, employees and communities, and setting the stage for the next decade of continued focus and momentum in these critical areas.

In today’s tight job market, a company’s commitment to doing the right thing for its communities, its employees and the environment can make a difference when it comes to recruiting and retaining top talent. According to a new survey, 40% of employed US adults say they would turn down their dream job if they weren’t sure of an employer’s commitment to doing the right thing, and 53% say they would turn down the opportunity to leave their current employer for a higher-paying job if the new company was less socially responsible¹.

Lincoln is dedicated to building vital communities through philanthropy, creating a diverse and inclusive culture that develops and empowers its employees, protecting the environment through sustainable business practices, and operating with transparency and responsibility.

“In all that we do at Lincoln, we are focused on a common purpose: to provide financial peace of mind to everyday consumers across the United States. This shared mission infuses each of our actions with meaning – in both our business practices and community outreach programs,” said Dennis R. Glass, president and CEO of Lincoln Financial Group. “The more diversity of thought, experience and people we have, the better our decisions will be. More support for the communities in which we live and work translates to higher employee engagement. Not only is being a responsible company the right thing to do – it also makes us stronger and helps us best serve our customers.”

Recent industry accolades recognizing Lincoln’s commitment include:

• Newsweek’s 2020 America’s Most Responsible Companies list recognized Lincoln as #37 overall and #3 based on Environmental Score. This ranking evaluates 2,000 public companies to determine which firms rank highest when it comes to doing good.
• Lincoln received its fifth consecutive perfect score on the Corporate Equality Index, and was designated as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality for 2020. This year marks the ninth time Lincoln has been recognized by the Human Rights Campaign.
• Forbes recently named Lincoln a Best Employer for Diversity for the third consecutive year, ranking in the top third of the publication’s 2020 list. In addition, Lincoln received recognition from Forbes as part of its 2019 World’s Best Employer List, an annual ranking of the world’s 2,000 largest public companies based on employee recommendations. Lincoln has also consecutively received recognition from Forbes as a Best Employer for Women and a Best Large Employer.
• Lincoln also ranked #66 on the 2020 Forbes JUST 100 list of public companies that are “doing right by America,” which looks at factors like equal opportunity for employees, and treating customers fairly and inclusively.
• For the fourth consecutive year, Lincoln was named to the prestigious Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) North America. The index recognizes companies that demonstrate leadership in environmental, social and governance performance. In addition, Lincoln has continually been recognized as a constituent of the FTSE4Good Index Series.
• Also in 2019, Lincoln received recognition as a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion, with a 100% score on the Disability Equality Index© (DEI), a joint initiative between the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and Disability:IN.

With the help of its 12,000 employees, Lincoln has expanded existing programs while launching several new initiatives to help improve lives, communities and the environment, including:

• CEO Dennis Glass signed on as a founding member of the CEO Action on Diversity and Inclusion – a nationwide initiative to educate employees and counter unconscious bias in the workplace.
• Through the work of the Lincoln Financial Foundation, Lincoln contributes about 9 million per year to nonprofit organizations in its communities. In addition, Lincoln employees coordinate local giving in the company’s main locations through Employee Activities Committees. For example, Lincoln employees have a long tradition of supporting local United Way organizations through annual workplace campaigns. In 2018, employee giving for United Way agencies surpassed $1 million for the sixth consecutive year.
• In 2017, Lincoln launched its Women’s Leadership Summit, a two-day event where officer-level women – and other high-potential female and male employees – convene with senior leaders to gain insights from each other as well as internal and external speakers. As of 2019, women comprise 61% of Lincoln’s workforce, exceeding industry and government benchmarks. Women hold 50% of all management positions and represent 27% of the board of directors, 33% of the top executive positions and make up 40% of the company’s top earners.² In February 2020, Lincoln was recognized by 2020 Women on Boards as a leading corporation in board diversity.
• Lincoln continues to make progress on reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, reducing electricity consumption by 17.68% at its Greensboro location, exceeding the 2020 goal of a 10% reduction, and setting a new goal of an overall 35% reduction by 2022.
• In 2019, Lincoln launched Autism2Work, a program designed to successfully attract, and ultimately hire, a more neurodiverse workforce. In addition to this program, Lincoln Financial is the presenting sponsor of the annual Eagles Autism Challenge, which raised more than $6 million for autism research and programs in its first two years.
• In 2015, Lincoln’s network of financial advisors (Lincoln Financial Network) launched the WISE Group (Women Inspiring, Supporting and Educating), an initiative designed to better support the needs of its female financial advisors and their clients. The group has hosted 600-plus advisors at more than 30 events across the United States, and this program continues to grow across the organization.

Read more about Lincoln Financial’s strategy, actions and achievements in the areas of corporate philanthropy, environmental sustainability and responsible business practices in the 2018 Corporate Social Responsibility report, Making it count: Real people, real stories.

About Lincoln Financial Group

Lincoln Financial Group provides advice and solutions that help empower people to take charge of their financial lives with confidence and optimism. Today, more than 17 million customers trust our retirement, insurance and wealth protection expertise to help address their lifestyle, savings and income goals, as well as to guard against long-term care expenses. Headquartered in Radnor, Pennsylvania, Lincoln Financial Group is the marketing name for Lincoln National Corporation (NYSE:LNC) and its affiliates. The company had $275 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2019. Lincoln Financial Group is a committed corporate citizen included on major sustainability indices including the Dow Jones Sustainability Index North America and FTSE4Good. Dedicated to diversity and inclusion, Lincoln earned perfect 100 percent scores on the Corporate Equality Index and the Disability Equality Index. Lincoln has also been recognized in Newsweek’s Most Responsible Companies and is among Forbes’ World’s Best Employers, Best Large Employers, Best Employers for Diversity, Best Employers for Women and ranked on the JUST 100 list. Learn more at: www.LincolnFinancial.com. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Sign up for email alerts at http://newsroom.lfg.com.

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¹ U.S. Employee Perspectives on Corporate Social Responsibility, Lincoln Financial and CivicScience (2020)

² Women in Leadership Report, The Forum for Executive Women. Philadelphia, PA.

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