Inclusion & Diversity

Diversity Presents Itself in Many Ways

Adapted from Johns Hopkins Diversity Wheel from
http://web.jhu.edu/dlc/resources/diversity_wheel/

SASB: CG-MR-310a.2; CG-MR-330a.1
UN SDGs: 5

At TJX, inclusion and diversity have been an important part of who we are for many years. We view diversity as inclusive of many facets—race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, ability, experience, religion, perspectives, and more—and we know that a diverse workforce can help us to think creatively, remain agile, and, importantly, be true to our values.

We are strongly committed to continuing to build a more inclusive and diverse workplace where all our Associates feel welcome in the Company, valued for their perspectives and contributions, and engaged with our business mission to deliver great value to our customers every day. We strive to treat all people with dignity and respect and do not tolerate discrimination, harassment, or hate of any kind. These expectations are reinforced to all Associates in our The following pdf link opens in a new window TJX Global Code of Conduct.

We appreciate that this work is a journey. To help guide us, we gathered information from a global inclusion and diversity survey of our Associates and incorporated those findings in developing the following three priority areas. We aim to:

  • Increase the representation of diverse Associates along our talent pipeline.
  • Equip leaders with the tools to support difference with awareness, fairness, sensitivity, and transparency.
  • Empower Associates to integrate inclusive behaviors, language, and practices in how we work together and understand our role and responsibility in inclusion.

Global I&D Strategies

While inclusion and diversity have consistently played an important part in who we are as a Company, we are aware that our work in this area is evolving, and we value input from our Associates in our journey. We provide opportunities for our Associates around the world to share their feedback, thoughts, and personal experiences related to inclusion and diversity at TJX. As such, we have taken time over the past several years to listen to our Associates and re-assess our Company-wide inclusion and diversity efforts, including through a global inclusion and diversity survey. This survey helped us define our strategies and establish initiatives that we believe can help us make meaningful progress and enduring change.

To underpin our work in this area, we expanded our Leadership Competencies and Cultural Factors to include a new leadership competency and cultural factor focused on inclusive values and behaviors. These leadership competencies and cultural factors are designed to help express our organizational values and promote consistency in leadership development. By formally establishing inclusion and diversity as a core organizational principle, we continue to integrate inclusion into the fabric of who we are as a Company.

Additionally, our Inclusion and Diversity Advisory Boards in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia continue to allow us to hear from our Associates regularly. The Advisory Boards include Associates representing a variety of functions, levels, and backgrounds across our stores, distribution and processing centers, and corporate offices. Advisory Board members provide recommendations and feedback to support our continuing inclusion and diversity work and guide us in striving to align our programming with the needs of various Associate populations.

Taken together, these actions are designed to further embed inclusion and diversity within our culture and business practices. They have helped inform our near-, medium-, and long-term global inclusion and diversity strategies, plans, and initiatives—including many of the activities we are proud to report on below. As a global company, regional differences may require different approaches; therefore, as we enhance our global program, we empower our regional leaders to adjust their initiatives to meet local needs.

Global Strategies:
Increase the Representation of Diverse Associates Along our Talent Pipeline

We recognize that having a diverse Associate base can help make us a stronger company and better able to serve our broad base of customers around the world. As we strive to increase representation of diverse Associates along our talent pipeline, we are focusing on ways to recruit more diverse talent while also continuing to provide diverse Associates access to development opportunities.

To support our recruiting strategies, we continue to build on the training we offer to our talent acquisition teams, including through educational opportunities focused on inclusion and diversity. We use a tool in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia designed to help identify and reduce potential unconscious biases in job descriptions and other recruiting materials. Our talent acquisition department has also established an inclusion and diversity committee that aims to increase proactive outreach to diverse communities and engagement with diverse candidates.

We are actively pursuing opportunities to increase minority candidate representation in early career positions, and we are expanding the ways we approach our search for early career professionals. For example, in the U.S., we recently expanded our relationship with several nonprofit partners, including Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America, The Posse Foundation, Bottom Line, and Thrive Scholars, working with them to support events, career development, and recruitment opportunities for underrepresented high school and college students. We have also expanded our outreach to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and partnered with diverse on-campus organizations for recruitment events. We believe these connections can help us create a pipeline of future diverse talent with TJX. Learn more about how we’re working to build a more diverse workforce in our Recruitment section.

Associates at TJX have access to an array of development opportunities internally and through external partnerships. TJX’s Global Leadership Curriculum and our Emerging Leaders program are among our robust internal professional development resources. We also have long-standing partnerships with community-based non-profit organizations—such as The Partnership, Conexión, and a third-party leadership academy designed for Black executives and early- to mid-career managers in the U.S. and Europe, and through Business in the Community in Europe—to create access to external professional development programs for our diverse Associates. We are proud of our culture that prioritizes development and advancement within our organization, as we simultaneously work to build a more diverse pipeline of talent to support our efforts to increase diversity at all levels of our organization.

Equip Leaders with the Tools to Support Difference with Awareness, Fairness, Sensitivity, and Transparency

To support our efforts to continue to further integrate inclusion into our culture and business practices, we recognize that it is important that leaders throughout our organization exemplify and model a culture of inclusion. We have made it a priority to equip our leaders with the training and tools needed to better understand and embrace working with those who are different than themselves. By adding a focus on inclusion to our Leadership Competencies and Cultural Factors, we intend to formalize inclusion as a foundational value that represents who we are as a Company and how we expect our leaders and Associates to show up every day. As part of this, we are developing tools designed to support leaders across the Company in reflecting on and implementing inclusion-based values and behaviors. In tandem with this process, we are updating our Leadership Development Toolkit with the goal of helping leaders across the Company deepen their understanding and continue implementation of inclusive values and behaviors. We have enhanced our Global Leadership Curriculum to provide our newly hired and recently promoted leaders with tools designed to champion inclusion and encourage, empower, and engage their direct reports.

In addition to providing tools to support their own learning, we are also equipping managers with resources to help them engage in dialogue with their teams. For example, in Fiscal 2023, we launched our Leader Learning series, where leaders are invited to gather monthly for candid conversations on inclusion and diversity topics designed to inform, inspire, and equip them with the confidence to lead inclusively. Some topics discussed so far include “Diversity as your Superpower,” “Being Authentic,” and “What is Feedback.”

Empower Associates to Integrate Inclusive Behaviors, Language, and Practices in How We Work Together and Understand our Role and Responsibility in Inclusion

Inclusion is an ongoing journey, and everyone can play a part. As such, the next step in our journey focuses on “Everyday I&D at TJX” and ways we can integrate inclusion and diversity into our everyday work and daily interactions. One of the ways we do this is through education and storytelling. In addition to our orientation materials focusing on the high value we place on inclusion and diversity, as well as an array of I&D-related online learning resources available to our Associates, our leaders are encouraged to take the learning tools that have been rolled out globally and integrate them into ongoing discussions with their teams. For example, many leaders are leveraging content and tools specifically developed to support their conversations with teams around topics such as unconscious bias and being authentic.

To promote awareness and align with best practices, we are also working to continue encouraging honest conversations and Associate feedback. Over the past several years, our inclusion and diversity teams in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia have conducted Associate listening sessions and focus groups to help guide open conversations, solicit input, and grow our collective capacity to be champions of inclusion. Recently, we launched Inclusion & Diversity Advisory Boards in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia, which are intended to empower cross-functional groups of Associates from our stores, distribution and processing centers, and offices to advise on our current and future inclusion and diversity work. Across various functions within the organization, Associates, supported by Human Resources, are setting up committees or engagement groups to help better incorporate inclusion and diversity into our everyday work. This has resulted in new initiatives that we believe support inclusion. For instance, our merchandising teams are finding opportunities to use an inclusion and diversity lens on product assortments as appropriate for our opportunistic buying and off-price business model. Additionally, we implemented gender-neutral gifting signage for certain merchandise in some of our stores.

At TJX, we have long known that mentoring is a great way for Associates to learn our business and find success. We also view mentoring as a means to promote inclusivity. Globally, we have piloted three mentoring approaches to build stronger connections among diverse groups of Associates and leaders. These programs are also designed to foster Associates’ development and include formal 1:1 mentoring relationships, informal mentoring, and facilitated mentoring roundtables that are geared toward generating group conversations on topics that were identified during focus group sessions, including career guidance, executive presence, self-awareness, and authentic leadership. We are continuing to partner with groups around the organization to incorporate mentoring into their Associate development practices and expand mentoring opportunities to more Associates.

Championing Inclusion

Continuing to build an inclusive organization and making Associates feel welcome, valued, and engaged are important to us as a Company, and we are committed to modeling and integrating inclusive behaviors, languages, and practices throughout our organization. One of the ways we do this is through our Associate Resource Groups (ARGs). We have been proud to champion ARGs in the U.S. for many years and are excited to have expanded into other regions more recently. TJX’s ARGs are generally informal yet well organized, and they typically develop annual business plans that outline their goals and objectives. Many ARGs also manage their own annual operating budgets and have funds available for charitable giving and/or community programs. Our ARG groups often host a wide range of events each year, including educational programming for group members and for the general Associate population, volunteer opportunities, social events, and fundraising initiatives.

In the U.S., we have 12 active ARGs that are focused on amplifying the voices of Associates through networking, development, and connection. In Fiscal 2023, TJX launched its newest U.S. ARG, HoLA, dedicated to building community among Hispanic and Latino/a/x Associates and allies. Other ARGs in the U.S. aim to support Associates with disabilities, Black Associates, members of the LGBTQ+ community, multicultural Associates, women, working parents, and members of the U.S. Armed Forces.

We are piloting our first ARGs in Europe. These ARGs include groups dedicated to supporting Asian, Black, female, disabled, and LGBTQ+ communities, in addition to a group dedicated to wellbeing. Europe’s pilot ARGs include Associates in corporate offices, processing centers, and stores. These ARGs are currently focused on developing their individual priorities, which will help TJX Europe continue to evolve its inclusion and diversity efforts moving forward consistently with TJX’s global core areas of focus.

In Canada, inclusion and diversity committees have been established for Associates in our home office, distribution centers, and stores and regional offices. Like ARGs, these committees aim to provide opportunities for Associates to share input, generate ideas, and develop annual plans regarding various inclusion- and diversity-related areas. As in Europe, TJX Canada’s committees are also expected to help inform the region’s strategic inclusion and diversity initiatives in support of TJX’s global core areas of focus.

The Australian inclusion and diversity governance structure is sponsored by our senior leadership team. The structure consists of four Working Groups and two I&D committees that support the delivery of initiatives associated with the delivery of the I&D plan. The four Working Groups include Ability, which supports mental and physical capabilities; Harmony, focused on supporting ethnicity and religious beliefs; Identify, supporting sexual and gender identity; and Reconciliation, which supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and reconciliation. The two I&D committees support and represent our store and processing center Associates. These committees are responsible for the implementation of initiatives set by the Working Groups, and are encouraged to provide feedback to the Working Groups, which represent the voice of our largest Associate group.

TJX is committed to doing our part to continue to support our many diverse Associates as well as to foster greater inclusion within our communities. In recent years, we enhanced our U.S. parental leave policy for benefits-eligible Associates to be more supportive of working parents, and we proudly offer transgender-inclusive healthcare, services, and transition support under our Company’s medical plans for eligible Associates at our U.S. office and store locations. Additionally, we have a variety of offerings that vary by location including: areas such as foot washing stations to help support our Associates’ cultural backgrounds, prayer/meditation rooms, improved lactation rooms, and gender-neutral dress code policy. We continue to stand by our 2020 commitment to stand up for our Black Associates, customers, and communities, and as we see examples of violence and discrimination against other underrepresented groups, we are reminded that we need to continue to work toward a better future for all people.

Our Diverse Workforce

We believe the diversity of our Associates can help make us a stronger company and better able to serve our broad base of customers around the world. We are committed to continuing to execute our global inclusion and diversity initiatives with the goal of driving sustainable, organizational change while striving to increase diversity in our talent pipeline.

We are also proud of our culture that prioritizes Associate development and advancement within our organization and are pleased that 40% of Associates in managerial positions around the world have been at the company for more than 10 years.1 As we strive to create a more inclusive and diverse workforce, we recognize the importance of building our talent pipeline with diverse talent and providing current Associates opportunities for growth and development.

Our workforce reflects a diversity of races, ethnicities, cultures, nationalities, and genders. Globally, in Fiscal 2023, women made up 78% of our total workforce and held 68% of our managerial positions.1 We are proud of the strong representation of women across our workplace, including an increasing percentage of our leadership team. Women are strongly represented in our more senior ranks and comprised 49% of Vice President and above positions in Fiscal 2023. In Fiscal 2023, women earned 80% of our promotions across the globe. As of the end of Fiscal 2023, 50% of our Board of Directors were women.

In the U.S. in Fiscal 2023, people of color3 comprised 58% of our total workforce, held 36% of managerial positions, and 60% of non-managerial positions.4 Within U.S. leadership roles, people of color comprised 14% of Vice President and above positions. In Fiscal 2023, people of color earned 50% of our promotions in the U.S. Additionally, as of the end of Fiscal 2023, 40% of our Board of Directors identified as a member of an underrepresented group (race, ethnicity, LGBTQ+).

Fiscal 2023 Gender & Racial Diversity Statistics2

78%

of our global workforce is female

68%

of people in managerial positions globally are female1

79%

of people in non-managerial positions globally are female

49%

of Vice President and above positions globally are female

80%

of promotions globally were earned by women

58%

of our workforce in the U.S. is people of color3, 4

36%

of people in managerial positions in the U.S are people of color1, 3, 4

60%

of people in non-managerial positions in the U.S. are people of color3, 4

14%

of Vice President and above positions in the U.S. are people of color 3,4

50%

of promotions in the U.S. were earned by people of color3,4

2022 U.S. Workforce Representation By Race/Ethnicity5

41% White
31% Hispanic or Latino
17% Black or African American
7% Asian
3% 2 or more races
<1% American Indian or Alaska Native
<1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Click Here to View Our 2022 U.S. EEO-1 Report

Pay Equity

At TJX, we are firmly committed to pay equity and to fostering an inclusive and diverse environment that provides attractive and accessible opportunities throughout our organization. As a large, complex, and global business, we believe it is imperative that we attract and retain the right talent for TJX at all levels and in all functions. We have designed compensation structures intended to pay our Associates competitively in the market and equitably, based on their skills, qualifications, role, and abilities. We have long-standing processes in place to monitor and support the objective evaluation and approval of compensation decisions in the many geographies where we operate. Our incentive plans emphasize our core compensation objectives, including incentivizing and rewarding performance and sustaining our position of strength in a competitive and changing retail environment.

In 2019, we published our first pay equity analysis looking at gender of our U.S. workforce, and in 2020, we expanded our efforts to include race/ethnicity. We are pleased to report that our most recent analysis, based on 2021 data and accounting for job title, geography, and full- or part-time status, was consistent with findings in previous years. In the U.S., on average, there are no meaningful differences in base pay between Associates based on gender or race/ethnicity at TJX. We intend to monitor our processes and review our data periodically to support our goal of continuing to compensate our Associates equitably based on their skills, qualifications, role, and abilities.

1Managerial positions are defined as Assistant Store Manager (or equivalent level) and above across the Company.

2Statistics cited in this section are for TJX's Fiscal Year 2023, which ended January 28, 2023.

3People of Color includes, consistent with definitions used by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (“EEOC”), the following racial and ethnic categories: Black or African American; Hispanic or Latino; Asian; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; American Indian or Alaskan Native; and Two or More Races.

4Data on ethnic and racial diversity for the U.S. only. Statistics for U.S. Associates are based on racial/ethnic designations used by the EEOC.

5Data based on our latest U.S. EE0-1 report.

Updated December 2023