Robert W. Baird

Wisconsin
Diversified Financials

Corprate Bias Ratings

Risk Level:

Rating - Danger
High Risk

Robert W. Baird, a financial services company, advocates for ESG investing. The company vets vendors for their LGBTQ and ESG policies. Baird uses its corporate reputation to advance ESG principles and advance LGBTQ causes. The Baird Foundation does not discriminate against religious organizations in its charitable giving. Baird Financial Services does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees. For these reasons, Baird receives a Medium Risk.

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

Robert W. Baird 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).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Robert W. Baird’s HRC CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (1)(2).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Baird Financial Services does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (1). Robert W. Baird’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 specific benefits guide with a comprehensive explanation of transgender services funded by the company (2)(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

Baird advocates for ESG investing and uses its reputation to support LGBTQ causes (1). Baird Advisors held Baird’s inaugural Sustainability Conference to advocate for ESG practices and published an ESG investing guide (2)(3)(4). Baird is a signatory of the UN’s Principles for Responsible Investing (5). Robert W. Baird’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 (6)(7). By doing so, the company risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders.

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Robert W. Baird’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.

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Robert W. Baird’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.

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
February 17, 2024

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