STERIS - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

STERIS is Medium Risk.

Steris 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. The company 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	Medium Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	Lower Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	Lower Risk
Political Actions	Lower Risk

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:

Medium

Rationale:

STERIS integrates ESG into its business practices. From its 2025 Corporate Responsibility Fact Sheet: “Oversight of the Company’s enterprise risk management process, which is the integrated, process-oriented approach to managing key business risks and policies, practices, and programs, including those related to ESG
matters, is the responsibility of the Board of Directors (“Board”)” (1). The company promotes divisive sex and gender policies. Its Supplier Code of Conduct requires international vendors to include sexual orientation and gender identity in their nondiscrimination policy (2). However, STERIS has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (3).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

STERIS does not appear to discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or beliefs (1).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

STERIS appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its supply chain. From its 2025 Corporate Responsibility Fact Sheet: “STERIS is focused on building an inclusive supply chain and therefore committed to working
with a wide range of qualified suppliers. Our supplier portfolio includes businesses that hold
recognized certifications such as: Minority-Owned Business Enterprises (MBE), Woman-Owned Business Enterprises (WBE), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Businesses (SDVO), Historically Underutilized Business Zone areas (HUBZone), Small Business (SB), Veteran-Owned (VO)” (1). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (2).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

STERIS’ CEO, Dan Carestio, signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, which includes a commitment to promote DEI through bias education training in the workplace, strategize on DEI programs/initiatives with other signatories, and engage boards of directors when developing and evaluating DEI strategies (1)(2). The company supports ESG within its business practices. From its 2025 Corporate Responsibility Fact Sheet: “With support from our Chief Executive Officer, General Counsel and other senior executives, the Corporate Responsibility function works to actively develop and refine our ESG strategies, programs, and
policies with our Global Sustainability Steering Committee” (3). STERIS supports DEI within its business practices. From its DEI Commitment: “Our goal is to build and foster
a global culture that reflects our commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
(DE&I) where there is a deep sense of purpose, pride, camaraderie and
belonging among our Associates” (4).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

STERIS has not used corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (1).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

STERIS has not used its PAC donations or lobbying for ideological purposes (1)(2)(3).