Darden Restaurants

Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Eddie V's Prime Seafood, The Capital Grille, The Capital Burger, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52, Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen,
Florida
Food Beverage and Tobacco

Risk Level:

Rating - Caution
Medium Risk

Summary:

Darden Restaurants has not terminated business relationships due to ideological beliefs, though it vets suppliers according to LGBTQ policies. Darden Restaurants also does not protect employees from viewpoint discrimination. The company has supports the Equality Act and funds multiple LGBT organizations. However, Darden Restaurants does not use its PAC to advance ideological causes hostile to freedom of expression. For these reasons, Darden Restaurants 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

Darden Restaurants has not publicly terminated business relationships due to beliefs or views. Darden Restaurants received a score of 100 on the Corporate Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign (1). Among other requirements, this means Darden Restaurants has pledged to vet vendors based on LGBTQ policies

Criteria

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

Risk Level
N/A
Rationale

Darden Restaurants has not published its employee-matching charitable giving policy (1).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Darden Restaurants does not provide its employees with protection against 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

Darden Restaurants advocates for the Equality Act and partners with Out&Equal (1)(2). Darden Restaurants offers unconscious bias and inclusion and diversity training to employees (3).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Darden Restaurants is a brass sponsor of Out & Equal and sent 17 employees to its summit (1)(2). The company is a corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (3).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Darden Restaurants operates its PAC in a bipartisan manner consistent with its business interests (1).

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
May 17, 2023

Company reports are intended for educational use only. Full Disclaimer

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