Inclusion & Belonging

Southwest Airlines® recognizes, respects, and values differences. By fostering a Culture that embraces and utilizes unique skills, talents, and backgrounds, we create competitive advantages in Teamwork and innovation that contribute to our overall success.

The Vision of Inclusion at Southwest® is to live up to the Southwest Way Values by creating and maintaining a positive work environment where everyone feels respected and appreciated. Our mission is to champion processes that promote, build, and sustain belonging and inclusion where everyone has a voice and opportunity to succeed. We do this by treating each other with the same concern, respect, and caring attitude that we treat our Customers.

Every. Single. One. Of. Us.

At Southwest Airlines, our Heart represents our identity. It’s more than the symbol of our brand. It’s who we are. We’re a Company of People. People representing diversity of culture, background, experiences, and viewpoints. Each of our Employees brings their talents, creativity, and individuality. And together, we make Southwest the incredible Company it is. Our People are the Heart of Southwest Airlines.

Inclusion has always been at the Heart of Southwest. Our Company was founded on the principle of putting People first, and we’ve never wavered from that commitment. That means all People. We’re committed to being a place where Employees feel welcomed and work without fear of hate, racism, discrimination, harassment, intolerance, disrespect, or injustice. We understand that in order for every Employee at Southwest to thrive, we must foster an environment of impartiality and fairness.

 

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We're committed to listening to our People—Employees and Customers—and doing our part to drive meaningful change, both inside and outside the Company. We’re also dedicated to working alongside our community partners to champion Inclusion in the communities we serve. Like many other companies, we’re on a journey, and we recognize that there is always more we can do to make our work environment even better, even more accepting. In order to reach our goals and aspirations, we must allow for vulnerability, engage in courageous conversations, and listen to our Employees, Customers, and Communities.

Grounded in The Southwest Way, it takes every single one of us to build a Culture of Belonging. We must embrace and live out our Values every day, in every way.

We each succeed when we bring our best selves to work. We succeed when we embrace civility and treat each other with respect and Hospitality. Southwest succeeds when we stay agile and focused on being excellent in all we do. It takes every single one of us.

Commitment and Priorities

The Company is committed to being an equal opportunity employer and prohibits all forms of unlawful discrimination in accordance with applicable law. Inclusion is a part of the Company’s culture that not only supports its workforce but is fundamental to the Company’s efforts to support the communities that it serves. In an effort to advance these initiatives, the Company’s Inclusion priorities include the following:

  • Maintaining a culture of Belonging through the promotion of inclusion and meaningful connections among Employees;
  • Continued focus on a Leadership bench diverse in skills, experience, and perspective; and
  • Supporting the Company’s commitment to provide all Employees with equal opportunity for learning and personal growth.

Recognizing Culture, Heritage, and Pride

We are proud to recognize our Cultural, Heritage, and Pride months throughout the year. This includes nationally observed holidays and months of celebration that honor our Employees and the communities we serve. These celebrations include, but aren’t limited to:

  • February: Black History Month
  • March: Women’s History Month
  • May: Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month & Military Appreciation Month
  • June: LGBTQ Pride Month
  • July: Disability Pride Month
  • September/October: Hispanic Heritage Month

Employee Resource Groups

Our Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are formed through the efforts of Employees organized around a specific dimension of diversity or identity. These groups promote our commitment to Belonging and adhere to our Southwest's Values.

Our ERGs are open to any Employee who supports the group's mission, regardless of whether the Employee shares in the common dimension of diversity or identity.

We currently have 7 Employee Resource Groups at Southwest Airlines that are associated with the Cultural, Heritage and Pride months we recognize:

  • Able@SWA: Employees with Disabilities & Allies
  • B.E.A.T.@SWA (Black Excellence Advancing Together): Black Employees & Allies
  • Corazón@SWA: Hispanic & Latinx Employees & Allies
  • Military@SWA: Military Employees & Allies
  • Out @ Proud@SWA; LGBTQ+ Employees & Allies
  • R.A.P.I.D.@SWA (Resilient Asian & Pacific Islander Descendants): AAPI Employees & Allies
  • Women@SWA: Women Employees & Allies

Awards & Recognition

We're proud to be recognized for our efforts and initiatives. These accolades help confirm and celebrate our commitment to inclusion and belonging.

2024

  • Earned Top Score in Human Rights Campaign Foundation's 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index
  • Designated one of the 25 Best Companies for Latinos to Work 2024 by Latino Leaders Magazine
  • Received the following 2024 designations from Viqtory: Military Friendly Employer, Military Spouse Employer, and Military Friendly Supplier Diversity Program

2023

  • Named to America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women 2023 by Newsweek
  • Named to America’s Greatest Workplaces for Diversity 2023 by Newsweek
  • Best Companies to Work for Latinos 2023 by Latino Leaders Magazine

2022

  • 2022 Best Places to Work for LGBTQ+ Equality, Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index
  • 2022 Forbes Best Places for Diversity in America
  • 2022 Best Places to Work: Disability Inclusion, The Disability Equality Index®
  • 2022 Best Companies for Latinos to Work, Latino Leaders Magazine
  • 2022 Military Friendly Company, The Military Friendly® Company Survey

2021

  • 2021 Best Places to Work: Disability Inclusion, The Disability Equality Index®
  • 2021 Accelerating Women to Corporate Boards, 50/50 Women on Boards

Supplier Engagement

Supplier Engagement has been designed to enable Southwest to extend opportunities to qualified suppliers who in turn can help Southwest fulfill its operational needs and satisfy the expectations of our Shareholders and Customers and meet competitive business challenges.

 

The Southwest Airlines One Report

Explore our annual corporate social responsibility report, the Southwest Airlines One Report. This integrated citizenship report covers significant social, economic, and environmental stories, as well as data tables, and reporting frameworks, all through the lens of corporate Citizenship. Our disclosures are informed by the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB).