Accenture

Ireland
Commercial and Professional Services

Corprate Bias Ratings

Risk Level:

Rating - Caution
Medium Risk

Accenture vets vendors according to LGBTQ policies and does not provide its employees with protections against viewpoint discrimination, but has not publicly terminated business relationships based on views or beliefs. Accenture covers the cost of "medically necessary transition-related" care for its employees and their children and is a founding member of the Partnership for Global LGBTI Equality (PGLE). The company is a signatory of the Business Roundtable's 2019 Statement on the Purpose of Corporation, which promotes stakeholder capitalism, and signed an open letter in support of the Equality Act. Accenture is a platinum corporate partner of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and funds multiple LGBT organizations. For these reasons, Accenture receives a Medium Risk rating.

Criteria
Risk Level
Rationale
Corporate Weaponization
Criteria

Has denied service to customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level
Rationale

Accenture has not publicly terminated business relationships due to religious beliefs or political views. The company received a score of 100 on the Corporate Equality Index. Among other requirements, this means Accenture has pledged to vet vendors based on LGBTQ policies (1)(2).

Criteria

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level
Rationale

Accenture does not discriminate against religious organizations in its charitable giving (1). The company directs its charitable donations giving towards STEM education and skills training programs.

Criteria

Employment policies fail to protect against discrimination based on political affiliation/views and/or religion.

Risk Level
Rationale

Accenture does not protect its employees from viewpoint discrimination (1).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy
Criteria

Uses corporate reputation to support ideological causes and/or organizations hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level
Rationale

Accenture’s PGLE membership reflects its commitment to “operationalize” company coverage of transgender surgery and treatment, the vetting of business partners based on LGBTQ+ policies, and the financial support of LGBTQ organizations on a global level (1)(2)(3). Accenture founded PGLE and the Charter of LGBT+ Commitment with L’Autre Cercle, a French group advocating for LGBT corporate advocacy in Europe (4)(5). Accenture has signed open letters supporting the Equality Act and supporting transgender participation in girls’ and women’s sports (6)(7). Accenture voiced corporate opposition to the Election Integrity Act in various state legislatures (8)(9)(10). The company signed an open letter opposing a Florida bill that would prevent teaching gender identity and sexual orientation in schools to kids in K-3rd grade (11). Accenture has signed the OneTen pledge to further emphasize race in hiring (12)(13). Accenture CEO Julie Sweet is a member of the Business Roundtable and signed its 2019 Statement on the Purpose of Corporation, which promotes stakeholder capitalism over traditional obligations to shareholders and customers (14)(15).

Criteria

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level
Rationale

The company has a perfect score on the HRC’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index. This score indicates the company covers the cost of “medically necessary transition-related care” for its employees and their children (1)(2). Accenture is a Platinum Corporate Sponsor of the HRC and a founding member of the PGLE, two LGBTQ corporate advocacy groups that ask companies to promote LGBTQ causes and policies (3)(4). Accenture is a Bronze sponsor of Out and Equal and a corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (5)(6). Accenture has claimed that it would partner with the Black Lives Matter movement and related causes, though it is unclear how much money the company pledged (7)(8).

Criteria

Uses corporate political contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level
Rationale

Accenture’s PAC is largely inactive, although the PAC historically contributed in a bipartisan manner in accordance with business interests (1).

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
August 23, 2023

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