Corprate Bias Ratings
Risk Level:
Summary:
By complying with Human Rights Campaign’s controversial demands, General Electric (GE) 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. It also uses sex and gender ideology criteria in employee recruitment, vendor selection, marketing, and philanthropic support. GE forces employees to undergo multiple ideological trainings and uses its reputation, corporate funds, and political influence to support controversial sex and gender ideologies, organizations, and legislation. GE likely funds Planned Parenthood and is a corporate partner of the NGLCC. The company supports the Equality Act and made a statement in opposition to Georgia's voting reform bill. For these reasons, GE receives a High 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.
GE received a score of 85 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). However, GE has not publicly fired customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs.
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.
GE’s HRC 2023 CEI rating indicates the company forces employees to attend multiple, controversial trainings on gender identity, sexual orientation, transgender issues, and divisive racial ideology. The company provides gender transition guidelines for its employees and a specific benefits guide with a comprehensive explanation of transgender services funded by the company (1)(2). GE protects its employees against viewpoint discrimination (3).
Uses corporate reputation to support ideological causes and/or organizations hostile to freedom of expression.
GE’s HRC 2023 CEI rating indicates the company agrees to allow a controversial stakeholder group focused on sexual identity issues to dictate marketing or advertising strategy (1)(2). By doing so, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders. GE signed an open letter in support of the Equality Act and made a statement in opposition to Georgia’s voting reform bill (3)(4). GE’s CEO is a member of the Business Roundtable (5).
Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.
GE’s 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. Additionally, the company has pledged philanthropic support of at least one organization or event that promotes sex and gender ideology (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. GE has enabled employees to donate to Planned Parenthood directly from their paychecks and is a corporate partner of the NGLCC (3)(4). GE has also allegedly donated to Planned Parenthood via donations to the United Way (5)(6). According to its internal annual and sustainability reports, GE does not currently donate to ideological groups, including Planned Parenthood (7)(8).
Uses corporate political contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.
GE’s HRC 2023 CEI rating indicates the company publicly advocated for controversial sex and gender ideology through local, state or federal legislation or initiatives (1)(2). By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders. GE has not used its PAC donations for ideological purposes (3)(4)(5).
All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
March 27, 2024
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Voting History
Date | ESG Category | Proponent | Summary of Resolution | Mgmt Rec | Total Vote % in Favor |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
5/3/23 | Governance | Kenneth Steiner | Independent Board Chairman | Against | 31.70% |
5/3/23 | Environmental | Henry H. Barrett and MKT Forces Trading Limitations | Assess Energy-Related Asset Resilience | Against | 9.80% |
5/3/23 | Environmental | The National Center for Public Policy Research | Fiduciary Carbon-Emission Relevance Report | Against | 1.10% |
5/3/23 | Governance | Martin Harangozo | Sale of the Company | Against | 0.50% |
5/4/22 | Governance | SOC Investment Group | Shareholder Ratification of Termination Pay | Against | 36.22% |
5/4/22 | Governance | Alexandra Brown | Approve Nomination Employee Representative Director | Against | 4.68% |
5/4/22 | Governance | Martin Harangozo | Cessation of all Executive Stock Option & Bonus Programs | Against | 1.91% |