Walgreens Boots Alliance

Walgreens has received negative press for firing employees who claimed they were wrongly terminated. In each of these cases, the company has not lost a wrongful termination lawsuit. In one prominent example, a pharmacist was fired for stopping an armed robbery using his legally concealed firearm (1). The company received a score of 100 on the 2025 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. The company recruits employees based on sexual identity issues. The company discriminates against vendors that do not promote divisive sex and gender policies, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (2)(3). Walgreens will dispense the abortion drug mifepristone at some of its pharmacies (4)(5). The company has stated that it will not sell abortion drugs in states that have instituted laws against them, despite significant pressure from Democratic politicians and activists to do so (6). The company’s stock dropped 3.75% after releasing a progressive Christmas advertisement “featuring actor Adjoa Andoh as Mrs. Claus and a scene referencing gender-inclusive pronouns, where Mrs. Claus uses they/them pronouns when referring to one gift recipient” (7)(8). Walgreens promotes divisive sex and gender policies. Its Supplier Code of Conduct requires international vendors to include sexual orientation in their nondiscrimination policy (9).

Walgreens’ HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (1)(2). However, the company does not discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs. The company’s charitable giving focus areas include health and wellbeing, cancer programs, and supporting young people (3)(4).

Walgreens’ HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company forces employees to attend multiple, controversial trainings on gender identity, sexual orientation, transgender issues, and divisive racial ideology. The company provides gender transition guidelines for its employees and a specific benefits guide with a comprehensive explanation of transgender services funded by the company (1)(2). The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its supply chain. From its WBA ESG Impact Report 2024: “Walgreens continued to invest in diverse supplier representation within its supply chain with a total spend of $544 million on diverse Tier 1 and directed Tier 1 suppliers in fiscal 2024” (3). Walgreens appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its business structure through the establishment of gender and racial targets for its leadership composition. The company is seeking for women in leadership “1.5 percentage points over previous year’s baseline” and for “people of color in leadership by 1 percentage point over previous year’s baseline” (4). The company has implemented mandatory unconscious bias training (5). Walgreens is an affirmative action employer: “Both equal employment opportunity and affirmative action objectives will be pursued in all areas of employment including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, compensation, benefits, assignments, promotions, training, transfers, and separations” (6). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (7)(8).

Walgreens’ HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company agrees to allow a controversial stakeholder group focused on sexual identity issues to dictate marketing or advertising strategy. By doing so, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2). The company spoke out to denounce state legislation that prevented transgender public school students from competing in girls’ youth sports or using the women’s restroom in schools (3). Walgreens is committed to net zero emissions by 2040 (4). CEO Tim Wentworth is a member of the Business Roundtable and Former CEO Stefano Pessina signed its 2019 Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation, which promotes stakeholder capitalism over traditional obligations to shareholders (5)(6). Walgreens sells Pride-related merchandise on its online store (7). The company supports ESG within its business practices. From its WBA ESG Impact Report 2024: “All our ESG efforts are embedded in our business strategy, which includes commitments to serve the needs of every community and create greater access to care” (8).

Walgreens provides a benefits package for employees that covers travel/lodging costs for an abortion and transgender medical procedures for covered employees and dependents, including children (1). The company’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company covers transgender related costs for its employees and their children, including paid short-term leave, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, chest surgeries, genital surgeries, medical visits and lab monitoring, travel and lodging. Additionally, the company has pledged philanthropic support of at least one organization or event that promotes sex and gender ideology. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (2)(3). The company was a Silver Tier corporate sponsor of the Trevor Project, an organization that advocates for controversial sex and gender ideology, including “gender transition” drugs and surgeries for minors, through legislation, litigation, advertising, and PR campaigns. The organization also hosts online chatrooms that allow adults to communicate with minors as young as 13 about sexually explicit topics. Adults in these chatrooms have encouraged minors to adopt transgender identities and withhold this information from their parents (4)(5)(6)(7)(8). Walgreens is a brass sponsor of Out & Equal (9). The company is a corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (10). Walgreens sponsored the following 6 events in 2025: Wilton Manors Stonewall Pride, The 50th Annual Memphis Pride Festival & Parade, Pride Houston 365, Out! Raleigh Pride, Gulf Association of Pride, Baton Rouge Pride Fest 2025 (11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (17).

Walgreens HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company publicly advocated for controversial sex and gender ideology through local, state or federal legislation or initiatives. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2). In 2024, the company donated to Equality PAC but has not lobbied for ideological purposes (3)(4)(5).