Hachette Book Group

Hachette Book Group received a score of 90 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, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (1)(2). An editorial director at Hachette experiencing substantial success publishing conservative literature was fired for what she and others believe was due to her political beliefs. At the same time, Hachette limited the political content that employees could publish following January 6, 2021 (3). Hachette requires its suppliers abide by its environmental standards, including a commitment to carbon neutrality by 2030 (4).

Hachette’s charitable giving guidelines require that organizations abide by its nondiscrimination policy, including on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity, thereby excluding some religious charities (1).

Hachette’s HRC 2025 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). Hachette does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (3).

Hachette’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company agrees to allow a controversial stakeholder group focused on sexual identity issues to dictate marketing or advertising strategy. By doing so, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2). Hachette provides a list of banned books in some public schools for inappropriate topics, including LGBT ideas (3). A branch of Hachette Book Group, Little, Brown and Company, features a page on the Hachette website supporting the Black Lives Matter movement (4). The CEO of Hachette UK made comments supporting and emphasizing the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement (5). Hachette has also published and sold multiple books that discuss leftist causes, including books targeted at children that promote drag culture and the Black Lives Matter movement (6)(7).

Hachette’s 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. Additionally, the company has pledged philanthropic support of at least one organization or event that promotes sex and gender ideology. 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). Hachette is a corporate partner of the LGBT organization Lambda Literary (3). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of Hachette using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (4).

Hachette’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company publicly advocated for controversial sex and gender ideology through local, state or federal legislation or initiatives. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2). Hachette does not operate a PAC or engage in lobbying at this time (3)(4)(5).