CKE Restaurants

Hardee's,Carl's Jr.
Tennessee
Food Beverage and Tobacco

Corprate Bias Ratings

Risk Level:

Rating - Clear
Lower Risk

Hardee's, located on the East Coast, and Carl's Jr., located on the West Coast, are fast food restaurants owned by CKE Restaurants. Hardee's and Carl's Jr. do not provide its employees with protections against viewpoint discrimination but have not publicly terminated business relationships based on views or beliefs. The company covers the cost of "medically necessary transition-related care" for its employees and their children. Hardee's and Carl's Jr. have not used its corporate funds or reputation to advance ideological causes hostile to freedom of expression. The fast-food chain has not discriminated against religious organizations but instead supported them. For these reasons, Hardee's/Carl's Jr. receives a "Lower 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

CKE Restaurants Holdings has not publicly terminated business relationships due to political or religious differences.

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Hardee’s/Carl’s Jr. parent company CKE Restaurants has the Shining Star Foundation which donates to any CKE employee who is facing a hardship. This includes: “Natural disasters such as flood, fire, tornado, earthquake, hurricane, etc. that creates a need for assistance beyond employee’s capabilities. Damage to home or living environment, fires, or other unusual unforeseen expenses not covered by insurance. Serious illnesses or injuries to the employee, loss of an immediate family member, or other emergency situations beyond the capabilities of the employee to handle alone” (1)(2). Due to the foundation’s mission, religious organizations are not discriminated against. Additionally, Carl’s Jr. has used its corporate funds to donate to many religious organizations which has been attributed in part to its Catholic founder, Carl Karcher (3).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

CKE Restaurants Inc. does not explicitly protect its employees 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

CKE Restaurants Inc. HRC CEI profile indicates the company covers the cost of “medically necessary transition-related care” for its employees and their children (1)(2). The company many LGBTQ causes into its business practices (3). 

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

CKE Restaurant Holdinds does not use its corporate funds to advance ideological causes, rather it invests its funds to support veterans through its Stars for Heroes campaign (1)(2).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
N/A
Rationale

CKE Restaurant Holdings does not operate a PAC.

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
July 19, 2023

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