Lowe’s Home Improvement

North Carolina
Real Estate

Corprate Bias Ratings

Risk Level:

Rating - Danger
High Risk

Lowe's has not publicly terminated business relationships based on views or beliefs. By complying with Human Rights Campaign's controversial demands, Lowe's 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. Lowe's 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. The company does not provide its employees with protections against viewpoint discrimination. The company offers critical race theory and signed the OneTen pledge to emphasize race in hiring. Lowe's is a corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce and has donated to the Equality PAC. However, the company does not discriminate against religious organizations in its charitable giving. For these reasons, Lowe's 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

Lowe’s Home Improvement received a score of 100 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, Lowe’s has not publicly fired customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs.

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Lowe’s HRC CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (1)(2). Lowe’s does not match employee charitable contributions but does encourage volunteerism in general (3). Its foundation’s charitable giving does not discriminate against religious organizations, in either direct grants or employee volunteering (4).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Lowe’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). Lowe’s does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (3).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy
Criteria

Uses corporate reputation to support ideological causes and/or organizations hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level
Rationale

Lowe’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. Lowe’s advocated for critical race theory training, teaching employees to apologize for their inherent characteristics (3). Lowe’s also spoke out against HB2, the North Carolina “bathroom bill” passed by the state legislature (4). Lowe’s has signed the OneTen pledge to further emphasize race in hiring (5)(6). CEO Marvin Ellison is a member of the Business Roundtable, but has not supported ideological initiatives (7).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Lowe’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. Lowe’s is a corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (3). Some shareholders proposed that Lowe’s should start looking into the costs of providing abortion-related travel benefits to employees, though the company has not accepted the proposal (4). Lowe’s is a sponsor of Memphis Pride Fest (5).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Lowe’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. Lowe’s has donated to the Equality PAC (3)(4).

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
March 27, 2024

Company reports are intended for educational use only. Full Disclaimer

Voting History

Date
ESG Category
Proponent
Summary of ResolutionMgmt RecTotal Vote % in Favor
4/5/23SocialRacial Equity AuditAgainst42.24%
4/5/23Socialindigenous peoples rightsAgainst26.67%
4/5/23Environmentalthe circular economyAgainst10.81%
4/5/23EnvironmentalFossil Fuel Financing PolicyAgainst6.76%
4/5/23Environmentaladvisory vote on environmental policiesAgainst18.76%
4/5/23Environmentalabsolute greenhouse gas reduction goalsAgainst17.17%
4/5/23EnvironmentalTCFD Reporting for M&A and Direct LendingAgainst7.15%
5/26/23GovernanceJohn CheveddenIndependent Board ChairmanAgainst22.90%
5/27/22SocialArjuna CapitalReport on Median Gender/Racial Pay GapAgainst58.01%
5/27/22SocialInt'l Brotherhood of TeamstersReport on Risks from Company Vendors that Misclassify Emplyees as Independent ContractorsAgainst35.71%
5/27/22GovernanceJohn CheveddenProxy Access AmendmentsAgainst32.28%
5/27/22SocialEducational Foundation of AmericaReport on Risks of State Policies Restricting Reproductive Health CareAgainst32.21%
5/27/22SocialNational Center for Public Policy ResearchCivil Rights and Non-Discrimination AuditAgainst1.95%

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