Okta

California
Software and Services

Corprate Bias Ratings

Risk Level:

Rating - Danger
High Risk

Okta, an identity and access management platform, does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees. However, it has not publicly terminated business relationships based on views or beliefs. Okta supports Equality Act and its CEO signed the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion pledge. The company has donated to The Trevor Project and BLM. It partners with companies to focus on achieving ESG goals. By complying with Human Rights Campaign’s controversial demands, Okta increases the risk of dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders. The company covers transgender-related medical costs for its employees and their children. It also uses sex and gender ideology criteria in employee recruitment, vendor selection, marketing, and philanthropic support. Okta uses its reputation, corporate funds, and political influence to support controversial sex and gender ideologies, organizations, and legislation. The company denounced various states’ legislative efforts to protect election integrity and security. Okta discriminates against some religious organizations in its charitable giving. For these reasons, Okta 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

Okta received a score of 85 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, Okta has not publicly terminated business relationships due to religious beliefs or political views.

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Okta’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). The company’s HRC CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (2)(3).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Okta does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (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

Okta’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. In 2020, Okta launched the Inclusive Language Project with the goal of removing the “usages of non-inclusive terms from our code, product, and documentation and building a culture of inclusive language across the organization” (3). Okta signed an open letter in support of the Equality Act (5). The company promotes its partnership with Planned Parenthood (6). Okta supports companies in their support of ESG goals (7). Okta’s CEO, Todd McKinnon, is a signatory to CEOs for Gun Safety (8). Okta’s CEO Todd McKinnon signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, which includes a commitment to promote DEI through bias education training in the workplace (9). Okta celebrated International Transgender Day of Visibility by creating an internal Trans and Non-Binary Inclusion Guide (10). The company opposed various state and local legislation intended to protect parental rights, girls’ sports, bathroom facilities, and gendered spaces (11)(12). Okta denounced various states’ legislative efforts to protect election integrity and security (13).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Okta’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. Okta donates to LGBTQ organizations including The Trevor Project (3). Okta donated over $400k in racial justice grants including to Black Lives Matter (4)(5). Okta also matched 100% of employee donations to the ACLU, Equal Justice Initiative, Southern Poverty Law Center, and the NAACP (6).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Okta’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. Okta does not operate a PAC at this time but has not lobbied for ideological purposes (3)(4)(5).

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
March 8, 2024

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