Walmart
Risk Level:
Summary:
Walmart has pledged to vet its vendors based on LGBTQ policies. Walmart also has policies that discriminate against religious nonprofits and lacks policies to protect employees from potential viewpoint discrimination. It uses its corporate reputation and funds to advance ideological causes and groups hostile to freedom of expression. Walmart has donated to ideologically focused PAC's not in accordance with business interests. However, Walmart has withstood activist pressure on some issues, including abortion and firearms policy. For these reasons, Walmart receives a "High Risk" rating.
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.
Walmart received a score of 100 on the Corporate Equality Index from the Human Rights Campaign. Among other requirements, this means Walmart has pledged to vet vendors based on LGBTQ policies (1). While Walmart raised the limit to purchase a firearm to 21, the company has not bowed to pressure to entirely stop selling firearms, nor has it used its institutional might to force changes on the firearm industry, as a New York Times contributor publicly requested (2)(3).
Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.
Employment policies fail to protect against discrimination based on political affiliation/views and/or religion.
Walmart does not protect its employees against viewpoint discrimination (1).
Uses corporate reputation to support ideological causes and/or organizations hostile to freedom of expression.
Walmart opposed an important Arkansas religious freedom bill in 2015. It regularly promotes LGBTQ Pride Month (1)(2). Walmart also promotes critical race theory training for “inclusive leadership” (3). However, Walmart did stand up to shareholder activists pushing for the company to focus its time, attention, and money on abortion policy (4).
Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.
Walmart has given to numerous ideological groups hostile to free expression, including PolicyLink, an organization focused on “racial equity” through promoting the tenets of critical race theory in the corporate world (1)(2). Walmart’s grant “helps support the launch of the Racial Equity through Corporate Actions Initiative, which will drive the creation and adoption of corporate standards on racial equity that will be freely available to companies” (3). Walmart also funds PFLAG and Love Has No Labels (4). Walmart is a Bronze sponsor of Out and Equal (5).
Uses corporate political contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.
Walmart has repeatedly donated to ideological groups hostile to freedom of expression, including the Equality PAC (1).
All links were last accessed and all information was updated on:
March 28, 2023
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