Southwest Airlines

Texas
Transportation

Corprate Bias Ratings

Risk Level:

Rating - Danger
High Risk

Southwest Airlines, terminated an employee in 2017 for her pro-life views. By complying with Human Rights Campaign's controversial demands, Southwest Airlines increases the risk of dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders. The company covers transgender-related medical costs for its employees and their children and provides specific sexual orientation and gender identity-based benefits. It also uses sex and gender ideology criteria in employee recruitment, vendor selection, marketing, and philanthropic support. Southwest Airlines forces employees to undergo multiple ideological trainings and uses its reputation, corporate funds, and political influence to support controversial sex and gender ideologies, organizations, and legislation. The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees. America First Legal filed a letter with the EEOC requesting a civil rights investigation into Southwest Airlines over discriminatory practices in hiring. The company supports the Equality Act and funds multiple LGBTQ groups. Southwest also partners with the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and issued a statement opposing state-level election security laws. The company has partnerships with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and is a corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC). For these reasons, Southwest Airlines 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

A jury awarded a flight attendant a victory over Southwest and the Transportation Workers Union of America after she claimed she had been fired in 2017 for her pro-life views and criticizing the union for supporting pro-abortion protests (1)(2). Southwest complied with the federal vaccine mandate but did not appear to fire any employees and made accommodations for unvaccinated staff (3)(4). In October 2021, one of Southwest’s pilots allegedly said a political slogan criticizing President Biden over a plane intercom. The pilot was not fired by Southwest (5). The company 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 (6)(7).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Southwest Airlines’s HRC CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (1)(2). Southwest Airlines does not appear to discriminate against religious organizations in its charitable giving. The company focuses on funding organizations that support, “disaster relief, environmental sustainability, military families, and serious illness” (3). However, it should be noted that the company’s e-pass ticket service for nonprofits excludes “religious endeavors.” It is unclear if this provision extends to faith-based charities (4).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Southwest Airlines’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 (1)(2). Southwest Airlines does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (3). America First Legal filed a letter with the EEOC requesting a civil rights investigation into Southwest Airlines over discriminatory practices in hiring (4)(5).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy
Criteria

Uses corporate reputation to support ideological causes and/or organizations hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level
Rationale

Southwest Airlines’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. Southwest Airlines signed an open letter in support of the Equality Act and issued a statement broadly opposing state-level election security laws (3)(4).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Southwest Airlines’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. Southwest Airlines has partnerships with the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation and the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) (3). The company is a corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (4).

Criteria

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

Risk Level
Rationale

Southwest Airlines’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. Southwest Airlines has not used its PAC donations or lobbied for ideological purposes (3)(4)(5).

All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
March 27, 2024

Company reports are intended for educational use only. Full Disclaimer

Voting History

Date
ESG Category
Proponent
Summary of ResolutionMgmt RecTotal Vote % in Favor
5/17/23GovernanceJohn CheveddenImprove Right to Remove Unqualified DirectorsAgainst53.00%
5/17/23GovernanceKenneth SteinerShareholder Ratification of Termination PayAgainst10.30%
5/18/22GovernanceJohn CheveddenAdopt Majority Vote Cast to Remove Directors With or Without CauseAgainst47.50%
5/18/22GovernanceKenneth SteinerShareholder Ratification of Termination PayAgainst40.91%

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