
American Express (AmEx)
Corprate Bias Ratings
Risk Level:
Summary:
American Express (AmEx) allegedly fired Nick Williams and his superiors allegedly due to diversity initiatives. The company vets vendors according to LGBTQ policies and is part of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, but has not publicly terminated business relationships based on views or beliefs. AmEx covers the cost of "medically necessary transition-related care" for its employees and their children. AmEx is a signatory of the Business Roundtable's 2019 Statement on the Purpose of Corporation, which promotes stakeholder capitalism. The company pledged $50 million to BLM and related causes, funds Planned Parenthood, and uses a product code for legal firearm purchases. AmEx is a founding corporate partner of the national LGBT Chamber of Commerce. For these reasons, American Express receives a "Medium Risk" rating.
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.
American Express is a member of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, which aims to demonetize advertisements and suppress content that “vilifies” individuals based on sexual orientation and gender identity, discusses “debated social issues in a negative or partisan context” or spreads “hate speech” (1)(2)(3). The company received a score of 100 on the Corporate Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign. Among other requirements, this means American Express has pledged to vet vendors based on pro-LGBTQ policies (4). American Express allegedly fired Nick Williams and his superiors due to diversity initiatives and a complaint from a minority-owned business (5). Otherwise, the company has not publicly terminated business relationships due to religious beliefs or political views.
Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.
Employment policies fail to protect against discrimination based on political affiliation/views and/or religion.
American Express provides viewpoint discrimination protection for employees (1).
Uses corporate reputation to support ideological causes and/or organizations hostile to freedom of expression.
American Express 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). The company has signed open letters supporting the Equality Act and affirming transgender participation in women’s and girls’ sports (3)(4). AmEx Board members protested state voting integrity bills (5). AmEx has also imposed teachings on employees that said certain religious beliefs conferred different levels of privilege, and these radical lectures magnified divisions based on inherent characteristics and beliefs (6). The company opposed the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, which prohibits teaching gender identity and sexual orientation in schools to kids in K-3rd grade (7). AmEx utilizes a new product code for legal firearms, allowing for the potential tracking of legal gun purchases (8). American Express is a member of the OneTen coalition, meaning that the company has pledged to further emphasize race in hiring (9)(10). American Express CEO Stephen Squeri 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 (11)(12).
Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.
American Express has funded Planned Parenthood (1). AmEx is a member of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (2)(3)(4). The company also paid for critical race theory style seminars for its employees that said that “capitalism is evil,” among other things (5). American Express has pledged over $50 million to the Black Lives Matter movement and related causes (6)(7). The company is a founding corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (8).
Uses corporate political contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.
American Express donates in a bipartisan matter (1).
All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
June 17, 2023
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Voting History
Date | ESG Category | Proponent | Summary of Resolution | Mgmt Rec | Total Vote % in Favor |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
5/2/23 | Governance | Kenneth Steiner | Ratification of Excessive Termination Pay | Against | 35.20% |
5/2/23 | Governance | Kenneth Steiner | Shareholder Ratification of Excessive Termination Pay | Against | 35.20% |
5/2/23 | Social | Change Finance | Report on Risks of Sharing Abortion-Related Data | Against | 11.50% |
5/2/23 | Social | Change Finance, P.B.C. | Abortion & Consumer Data Privacy | Against | 11.50% |
5/3/22 | Governance | Kenneth Steiner | Independent Board Chair | Against | 22.20% |