ODP (Office Depot)

Florida
Retailing

Corprate Bias Ratings

Risk Level:

Rating - Clear
Lower Risk

ODP, the owner of Office Depot, Officemax, and other office supply retailers, vets vendors according to LGBTQ policies but has not publicly terminated business relationships based on views or beliefs. In one instance, an employee tried to stop a customer from printing anti-abortion fliers, but management intervened and apologized. The company did pause advertising on Laura Ingraham's Fox News show in 2018 due to controversy surrounding the Parkland shooting. The company covers the cost of "medically necessary transition-related care” for its employees and their children. ODP supports the Equality Act and is a corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce. However, the company protects customers and employees from viewpoint discrimination, does not discriminate against religious organizations in its charitable giving, and has not used its PAC contributions for ideological purposes. For these reasons, ODP 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

In 2015, an Office Depot employee refused to print a suburban Illinois woman’s anti-abortion fliers, claiming that the fliers violated company policy (1). However, ODP corporate quickly apologized and allowed the woman to print the fliers (2). ODP and its subsidiaries have not had further incidents of disallowing business relationships for political or religious purposes. Office Depot received a score of 100 on the Corporate Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign (3). Among other requirements, this means the company has pledged to vet vendors for LGBTQ policies.

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

The ODP Foundation will make grants to religious organizations that “serve the general public on a non-denominational basis” (1)(2).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

ODP protects employees from religious and 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

ODP has a perfect score on the HRC’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index. This score indicates the company covers the cost of “medically necessary transition-related care” for its employees and their children (1)(2). The company is a member of the Business Coalition for the Equality Act (3). In 2018, Office Depot announced that it would halt its advertising on Laura Ingraham’s Fox News show after controversy surrounding the Parkland shooting (4).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

ODP is a corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (1). Otherwise, it has not funded ideological organizations or causes hostile to freedom of expression (2)(3)(4).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
N/A
Rationale

ODP does not operate a PAC.

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
July 5, 2023

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