The Hershey Company allegedly fired employees who did not receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Hershey's scored a 100 out of 100 on the 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. By complying with the HRC’s controversial demands, Hershey's increases the risk of dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders. The company provides a benefits package for employees which covers transgender medical procedures for covered employees and dependents, including children. It also uses sex and gender ideology criteria in employee recruitment, vendor selection, marketing, and philanthropic support. Hershey's 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 is part of the Global Alliance for Responsible Media. Hershey's received criticism for featuring a transgender as part of its celebration of International Women's Day. America First Legal filed a letter with the EEOC requesting a civil rights investigation into Hershey's over discriminatory practices in hiring. The company requires all employees to take unconscious bias trainings two times per year. Hershey’s CEO, Michele Buck, signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, which includes a commitment to promote DEI through bias education training in the workplace. The company has also pledged $250,000 to the Black Lives Matter movement and related causes. Hershey’s is a corporate partner of the NGLCC and a Bronze sponsor of the HRC. For these reasons, The Hershey Company receives a High Risk rating.