Albertsons

Albertsons received a score of 45 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 (1)(2). However, the company has not canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (3).

Albertsons’ HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (1)(2). The company does not appear to discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs. Albertsons’ charitable giving focus areas are “local churches, schools, and nonprofits” (3)(4).

Albertsons states that “requiring a transgender individual (customer or employee) to use the restroom of her gender at birth would be a form of transgender discrimination prohibited by our Company policy” (1). Albertsons operates a supplier diversity program that is only open to “small and mid-size businesses that are at least 51 percent owned, controlled and operated by women, Black, indigenous and people of color, LGBTQ+, veterans or people with disabilities” (2)(3). Albertsons’ does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (4).

Albertsons signed an open letter endorsing the Equality Act, a contentious proposal to amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act by adding sexual orientation and so-called gender identity as protected categories. The legislation would, among other implications, grant biological men access to women-only spaces such as sports teams and public restrooms, and compel healthcare providers to deliver sex-denying healthcare (1). The company 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). Albertsons’ CEO Vivek Sankaran is a member of the Business Roundtable, which supports stakeholder capitalism over traditional shareholder obligations (3). The company supports ESG within its business practices. From its Sustainability page: “The company’s new Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) framework, called “Recipe for Change,” further solidifies Albertsons Cos.’ commitment to using its national presence and resources to drive meaningful, proactive change” (4). The company also supports DEI within its business practices, describing Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging as “key ingredients” in the company’s strategy (5)(6). Albertsons hosted “Leading with Inclusion” workshops (7). The company’s CEO, Vivek Sankaran, signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, which includes a commitment to promote DEI through bias education training in the workplace, strategize on DEI programs/initiatives with other signatories, and engage boards of directors when developing and evaluating DEI strategies (8)(9). Albertsons is committed to net zero emissions by 2040 (10)(11).

Albertsons’ 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. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2). The company 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). The company is a partner of the HRC’s Foundation (7). Albertsons “participated in the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access (IDEA) Council’s Third Annual Diversity Day Celebration” (8). Albertsons donated $25,000 to “the National Center for Transgender Equality for Education, which supports boys participating in girls’ sports” (9)(10). Safeway, a subsidiary of Albertsons, sponsored the San Francisco Pride Celebration in 2024 (11)(12). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (13).

Albertsons has not used its PAC donations for ideological purposes and does not engage in lobbying at this time (1)(2)(3).