Yeti - 1792 Exchange

Rating Overview

Yeti is Medium Risk.

Yeti 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. Yeti 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	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:

Medium

Rationale:

In 2018, Yeti ended its legacy discount program with the NRA, which launched claims of cancellation and discrimination. Yeti claimed it was unrelated to the timing of Delta and other companies ending NRA discounts after the Parkland school shooting (1). However, the company has not publicly canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (2).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

Lower

Rationale:

Yeti 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:

Yeti requires its employees to take unconscious bias training (1)(2). The company appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its recruitment and hiring. From its 2022 ESG Report: “we are building key resources to help all recruiters and hiring managers at YETI to integrate equity and inclusion into every part of the hiring process, from crafting job descriptions through applicant review and employment offers” (3). It appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its business structure through the establishment of gender and racial targets for its leadership composition and ambassador. The company is seeking to “Achieve gender parity at leadership levels by 2025”, as well as for 30% of ambassadors to be female and racial and ethnic diversity to reach 15% by 2030 (4). The company does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (5).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Yeti‘s CEO Matt Reintjes 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 DEI within its business practices. From its 2022 ESG Report: “We also worked across the company to elevate our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion” (3). The company supports ESG within its business practices. From its 2022 ESG Report: “we remain focused on embedding ESG priorities throughout YETI” (4). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using its reputation to advance ideological causes or policies (5).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

Yeti has partnered with SheJumps and Skate Like a Girl, both of which allow and encourage boys to participate in girls’ sports and events (1)(2)(3). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (4).

Criteria:

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

Risk Level:

N/A

Rationale:

Yeti does not operate a PAC or engage in lobbying at this time (1)(2)(3).