The first ERG was formed at document management company Xerox in 1970. Begun as a way to combat racial tensions in the workplace which had been rising through the 1960s, Xerox CEO Joseph Wilson encouraged his African-American employees to start their own employee group to protect and promote their civil rights. The idea took root and, over time, grew new branches: the first ERG dedicated to the gay community was formed at Hewlett-Packard in 1978. In the 50+ years since the first ERG at Xerox, the concept has spread throughout the US and later to Europe and the rest of the world, becoming standard practice in many businesses today. In recent years, ERGs have increasingly been incorporated into business strategies and operations plans - a reported 90% of Fortune 500 companies have ERGs.