Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

Rating Overview

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is Medium Risk.

Wyndham Hotels & Resorts 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	High 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:

Wyndham scored a 65 out of 100 on the 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group (1)(2). However, the company has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (3)(4).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Wyndham 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:

Wyndham‘s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company provides a specific benefits guide with a comprehensive explanation of transgender services funded by the company (1)(2). The company mandates “unconscious bias training” for all its employees (3). The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its recruitment and promotion. From its 2023 ESG Report: “Continued to bolster efforts to recruit, retain, and promote diverse talent.” The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its supply chain and mentoring program: “Wyndham’s strong tier-1 and tier-2 programs, as well as extensive training and mentoring for diverse suppliers, help ensure supplier diversity is thoroughly integrated into the Company’s overall business strategy” (4). The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its leadership composition. From its Corporate Governance Guidelines: “The Board values diversity of all types and seeks members from diverse professional and personal backgrounds who combine a broad spectrum of experience and expertise with a reputation for integrity” (5). Wyndham does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (6).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Wyndham has signed an open letter endorsing the Equality Act, a contentious proposal to amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act by adding sexual orientation and so-called gender identity as protected categories. The legislation would, among other implications, grant biological men access to women-only spaces such as sports teams and public restrooms, and compel healthcare providers to deliver sex-denying healthcare (1). The company is no longer affiliated with the NRA (2)(3). Wyndham is planning to incorporate Diversity & Inclusion goals into the performance reviews of its senior leaders (4). The company’s CEO, Geoff Ballotti, signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, which includes a commitment to promote DEI through bias education training in the workplace (5)(6)(7). The company supports DEI within its business practices. From its 2023 ESG Report: “Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is central to the Company’s core values and mission” (8). The company supports ESG within its business practices. From its 2023 ESG Report: “Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ ESG strategy focuses on four key themes that serve as the centerpiece of a larger strategic approach” (9). The company scored an 80 out of 100 on the 2023-2024 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group (10)(11).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Wyndham‘s HRC 2025 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. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2). Wyndham is a Bronze Tier corporate sponsor of the Trevor Project, an organization that advocates for controversial sex and gender ideology, including “gender transition” drugs and surgeries for minors, through legislation, litigation, advertising, and PR campaigns. The organization also hosts online chatrooms that allow adults to communicate with minors as young as 13 about sexually explicit topics. Adults in these chatrooms have encouraged minors to adopt transgender identities and withhold this information from their parents (3)(4)(5)(6)(7). Wyndham is a corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (8). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (9).