Franklin Templeton Receives Top Marks in 2021 Corporate Equality Index

Franklin Templeton is pleased to announce its receipt of a perfect score of 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation's 2021 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), the nation's premier benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. Franklin Templeton earned top marks in the national survey for the fifth consecutive year and was designated as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality.

Jenny Johnson, President and CEO, Franklin Templeton, commented, "Franklin Templeton is very proud that we have continued to receive the highest marks in this premier survey, recognizing our commitment to diversity and the strong culture of inclusion that we have built and continue to foster every day. Our diverse global workforce is a competitive advantage, and cultivating an inclusive workplace helps our employees thrive ? benefitting our clients, our partners and our company."

Alphonso David, Human Rights Campaign President, said, "From the previously unimaginable impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, to a long overdue reckoning with racial injustice, 2020 was an unprecedented year. Yet, many businesses across the nation stepped up and continued to prioritize and champion LGBTQ equality. This year has shown us that tools like the CEI are crucial in the work to increase equity and inclusion in the workplace, but also that companies must breathe life into these policies and practices in real and tangible ways. Thank you to the companies that understand protecting their LGBTQ employees and consumers from discrimination is not just the right thing to do?but the best business decision."

The CEI rates employers providing crucial protections to over 18 million U.S. workers and an additional 17 million abroad. Companies rated in the CEI include Fortune magazine's 500 largest publicly traded businesses, American Lawyer magazine's top 200 revenue-grossing law firms (AmLaw 200), and hundreds of publicly and privately held mid- to large-sized businesses.

The CEI rates companies on detailed criteria falling under four central pillars: non-discrimination policies across business entities; equitable benefits for LGBTQ workers and their families; supporting an inclusive culture; and corporate social responsibility. The full report is available online at www.hrc.org/cei.

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation is the educational arm of America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender and queer people. HRC envisions a world where LGBTQ people are embraced as full members of society at home, at work and in every community.

About Franklin Templeton

Franklin Resources, Inc. [NYSE:BEN], is a global investment management organization with subsidiaries operating as Franklin Templeton and serving clients in over 165 countries. Franklin Templeton's mission is to help clients achieve better outcomes through investment management expertise, wealth management and technology solutions. Through its specialist investment managers, the Company brings extensive capabilities in equity, fixed income, multi-asset solutions and alternatives. With offices in more than 30 countries and approximately 1,300 investment professionals, the California-based company has over 70 years of investment experience and approximately $1.5 trillion in assets under management as of December 31, 2020. For more information, please visit franklintempleton.com.

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