Lush
Corprate Bias Ratings
Risk Level:
Summary:
Lush, a bath, body, skin and haircare company, does not protect its employees from viewpoint discrimination but has not publicly terminated business relationships based on views or beliefs. Lush discriminates against religious organizations in its charitable giving and has frequently used its reputation and corporate funds to promote LGBT ideology and organizations. Lush publicly advocated for the BLM movement and implemented unconscious bias training for its employees. For these reasons, Lush receives a Medium 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.
Lush has not publicly fired customers, suppliers, or vendors based on views or beliefs.
Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.
Lush’s charitable giving guidelines require that organizations abide by its nondiscrimination policy, thereby excluding some religious charities (1).
Employment policies fail to protect against discrimination based on political affiliation/views and/or religion.
Lush does not publish a nondiscrimination policy.
Uses corporate reputation to support ideological causes and/or organizations hostile to freedom of expression.
Lush partnered with the National Center for Transgender Equality in 2018 to promote its trans rights campaign and gave away 75,000 “How to be a trans ally” booklets in stores (1)(2). Lush implemented a fact sheet for trans and non-binary employees, introduced gender neutral bathroom signs and removed gender language from its website and shops (3). Lush is a member of the Business Coalition for the Equality Act and dedicated a whole page on its website to educate and celebrate the queer community (4)(5)(6). Lush partnered with Galop, to implement legislation that will protect LGBT+ people from “conversion therapy” and in 2022 various Florida Lush locations released a limited edition Gay is OK soap to support Equality Florida (7)(8). Lush released a statement in support of the BLM movement in 2020 and undertook unconscious bias training for senior leadership, product inventors, and the people and recruitment team (9). Lush started an internal community group for its Trans and Non-Binary employees, enabled payroll information to be available without dead naming or misgendering, made pronoun badges accessible, and implemented an internal gender diversity and inclusivity training program (10). Lush published a series of articles on its website about gender ideology and how to be a transgender ally (11)(12)(13)(14). Lush has opposed “anti-LGBT” state legislation, such as Florida’s Parental Rights in Education Act, which prohibits teaching gender identity and sexual orientation in schools to kids in K-3rd grade (15)(16). Lush also opposed legislation that the HRC views as “anti-LGBT” in Alabama, Iowa, Indiana, Texas, and Kentucky (17)(18)(19)(20)(21). Lush mandates “anti-racism training” for all of its employees (22). Lush supports the Black Lives Matter movement (23). Lush has a speaker series on such issues as White Fragility and Microaggressions (24). Lush advocates for ideological causes, organizations, and policies (25). Lush supports the Women’s March (26). Lush’s CEO Mark Wolverton signed a letter supporting abortion (27)(28).
Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.
Lush created a limited edition bath melt donating all proceeds from the sale to the National Center for Transgender Equality and the Canadian Center for Gender and Sexual Diversity (1). Lush’s charitable giving organization “Charity Pot” supports various LGBTQ2+ groups including; Garden State Equality, Familia TQLM, Transilient, Get Real, and South Carolina Youth Action Project (2)(3). Lush partnered with the ACLU to support LGBTQ rights during Pride Month (4). Lush supports the Movement for Black Lives, Black Men Build, Dream Defenders, Black Voters Matter Fund, Black Youth Project 100, Southerners on New Ground, Marsha P. Johnson Institute, ACLU of Louisiana and ACLU of Georgia (5). Lush donated $250,000 of its Charity Pot sales to “Black-led, community-based organizations (6).” Lush supports The Black Curriculum (7)(8). Lush sponsored the Rally for Abortion Justice in partnership with the Women’s March (9). Lush supports the LGBT community through ideological organizations like Transilient, Unisilence, and the South Carolina Youth Project (10)(11). Lush supports Drag Queen Storytime (12)(13).
Uses corporate political contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.
Lush does not operate a PAC or engage in lobbying at this time (1).
All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
October 2, 2023
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