Gucci - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

Gucci is Medium Risk.

Gucci is Medium Risk. The company often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. Gucci occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Lower Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	No Data
Employment Protection	Lower Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	High Risk
Political Actions	No Data

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled 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:

Lower

Rationale:

Gucci Equilibrium, Gucci’s charitable giving foundation, published a report of its giving that did not include religious organizations but its goals are centered around gender equality and environmental aid (1).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

N/A

Rationale:

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Gucci protects its employees against viewpoint discrimination. Its Code of Ethics states that it “encourages freedom of expression for employees” (1).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Gucci created Chime for Change and joined UN Women’s Generation Equality Action Coalitions in support of gender equality and LGBTQ equality (1)(2). In 2021, the company started using gender expansion language to allow employees to self-identify their gender (3). In 2021, the company launched a diversity and inclusion awareness program (4). It created a gender-fluid collection in support of the LGBTQ movement (5). The company hosts topic training for all employees regarding diversity and including gender diversity and LGBTQ training (6).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Gucci provides a benefits package for employees that covers travel/lodging costs for an abortion (1)(2). The company stated that it, “remains steadfast in its belief that access to reproductive health care is a fundamental human right” (3). The company donates to many LGBTQ organizations and organizations supporting abortion access through Chime for Change (4). The company pledged to fight racism through its donations to organizations including Campaign Zero and Know Your Rights Camp (5). It runs a separate charitable giving campaign for “Changemakers” whereby “the fund provides preference to organizations led by diverse leaders. Gucci Changemakers will assist applicants focused on critical social impact areas, including social justice and equity, arts and culture; health equity and wellness; and education. In addition, we highly encourage organizations focusing on reducing gun violence, increasing access to voting, and supporting individuals with disabilities to apply” (6). The company’s MX collection advances LGBTQ ideology including “gender fluidity” (7). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (8).