General Motors (GM)

Automobiles and Components

Risk Level:

Rating - Danger
High Risk

Summary:

General Motors vets vendors for their LGBTQ protections, but it has not publicly fired employees or terminated business relationships because of ideological disagreements. GM supports the Equality Act and has spoken out against state-level efforts to reform its own election rules. GM has leaned fully into ESG practices, and the company was among the first to pull its advertisements from Twitter after Elon Musk's purchase of the site. Meanwhile, the company policy does not protect against viewpoint discrimination. GM has not used its corporate dollars to support ideological organizations, but it will not support its employees' donations to faith-based groups the way it does for secular groups. For these reasons, GM 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

General Motors has not publicly terminated business relationships due to religious beliefs or political views. The company received a score of 90 on the Corporate Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign. Among other requirements, this means General Motors has pledged to vet vendors based on LGBTQ policies  (1). After Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, General Motors indefinitely suspended its advertising on the site and has not resumed normal operations (2).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

GM does not give grants or sponsorships to “Faith-based organizations organized for religious purposes” (1)(2). GM will not match employee donations to any religious organizations through its employee gift-matching program  (3).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

GM 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

GM has signed an open letter in support of the Equality Act and an amicus brief requesting the addition of sexual orientation as a protected class on the 1964 Civil Rights Law (1)(2). GM also issued a public statement opposing an election reform law in Michigan (3). Despite previously working alongside other auto manufacturers to legally challenge a California emissions standard, GM withdrew its name from the effort and threw its support behind then-President-elect Biden (4). GM has made the OneTen pledge to further emphasize race in its hiring practices (5). GM has an entire separate website dedicated to its ESG practices (6).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

GM does not use its corporate dollars to support ideological groups hostile to freedom of expression. NOTE: General Motors announced that it would give $10 million to various organizations promoting racial justice, though it did not specify which organizations would receive funding (1).

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
March 10, 2023

Company reports are intended for educational use only. Full Disclaimer

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