Ralph Lauren

New York
Consumer Durables and Apparel

Corprate Bias Ratings

Risk Level:

Rating - Caution
Medium Risk

Ralph Lauren vets vendors according to LGBTQ policies, is part of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, and does not provide its employees with protections against viewpoint discrimination. However, the company has not publicly terminated business relationships based on views or beliefs. Ralph Lauren has used corporate funds to support employees' abortion-related travel expenses and has used its corporate reputation to protest the overturning of Roe v. Wade and oppose state-level election security bills. Ralph Lauren supports the Equality Act. For these reasons, Ralph Lauren receives a Medium 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

Ralph Lauren received a score of 100 on the Corporate Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) (1). Among other requirements, this means the company has pledged to vet vendors for LGBTQ policies. The company is a member of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media, which aims to demonetize advertisements and suppress content that “vilifies” individuals based on sexual orientation and gender identity, discusses “debated social issues in a negative or partisan context” or spreads “hate speech” without appropriately defining the latter term (2)(3)(4). However, there is no record of Ralph Lauren publicly terminating a business relationship due to views or beliefs.

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

According to Ralph Lauren’s sustainability reports, the company does not discriminate against faith-based charities in its giving (1).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Ralph Lauren does not provide protections against political 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

Ralph Lauren has signed the HRC’s business agreement denouncing state-level LGBTQ legislation (1). Ralph Lauren has also denounced a North Carolina bill stating that people must use public restrooms that correspond to biological sex (2). Ralph Lauren used Instagram to publicly criticize the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade (3). Ralph Lauren is a member of the Civic Alliance, which has used its collective corporate platform to oppose election security bills nationwide (4). Darren Walker, a board member at Ralph Lauren, publicly opposed the election security bill put forth in Georgia in 2021 (5). Ralph Lauren is part of the Business Coalition for the Equality Act (6). CEO Patrice Louvet is a member of the Business Roundtable (7).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Ralph Lauren has extended its medical coverage to include travel for abortion (1)(2). The company is a member of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (3)(4)(5).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
N/A
Rationale

Ralph Lauren does not have a PAC.

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
November 28, 2023

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