Albertsons

Acme Markets, Carrs Safeway, Haggen, Jewel-Osco, Kings, Pavillions, Plated, Randalls, Safeway, Shaw's and Star Market, Tom Thumb, United Supermarkets, Vons
Idaho
Food and Staples Retailing

Corprate Bias Ratings

Risk Level:

Rating - Danger
High Risk

Albertsons vets vendors according to LGBTQ policies and does not provide its employees with protections against viewpoint discrimination. However, it has not publicly terminated business relationships based on views or beliefs. By complying with Human Rights Campaign's controversial demands, Albertsons increases the risk of dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders. The company covers transgender-related medical costs for its employees and their children and provides specific sexual orientation and gender identity-based benefits. Albertsons supports the Equality Act and funded a children's drag show. The company the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies. For these reasons, Albertsons receives a High 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

Albertsons received a score of 45 on the 2023 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 (1)(2). The company also integrates ESG into all its business practices (3)(4). However, Albertsons has not publicly terminated business relationships due to religious beliefs or political views.

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Albertsons’ HRC CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (1)(2). Albertsons encourages the use of its Charitable Community Giving Card Program to fundraise for local churches, schools, and nonprofits (3). Albertsons’ primary method of charitable giving is through food banks and other hunger relief organizations, which do include religious groups (4). Subsidiary Randall’s Grocery operates the Good Neighbor Program, which allows shoppers to earn points toward a donation to a participating charity of their choice, including religious organizations (5).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Albertsons’ 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

Albertsons signed an open letter in support of the Equality Act (1). Albertsons also denounced state legislative efforts to reform the voting processes, saying that they make it “harder to vote, and that can disproportionately impact women and people of color” (2). CEO Vivek Sankaran is a member of the Business Roundtable but has not supported any ideological initiatives (3).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Albertsons’ HRC 2023 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 (1)(2). By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders. Albertsons donates to a variety of different charitable causes, including $5 million to nonprofits seeking racial justice, none of which are ideologically driven (3)(4)(5). Albertsons’ also funded the Boise Pride event, which featured drag shows with children as young as 11 years old (6).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Albertsons does not use its PAC donations for ideological purposes (1). Albertsons is the parent company of Safeway, which contributes without ideological bias (2)(3).

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
March 27, 2024

Company reports are intended for educational use only. Full Disclaimer

Voting History

Date
ESG Category
Proponent
Summary of ResolutionMgmt RecTotal Vote % in Favor
2/1/23Socialupdating the role of the human resources committeeAgainst3.05%
2/1/23Sociala report to address racial disparities and equity issuesAgainst15.88%
2/1/23Socialartificial intelligenceAgainst5.10%
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