Last Updated:
10/24/20 3:02 PM
overall rating:
keep going
H&M
Internal Representation & Support
54%
Public Commitment
50%
External Communication
69%
To evaluate this pillar, we take into consideration a range of factors, including but not limited to:
- Employee representation
- Diversity, equity, & inclusion (DEI)
We weigh a company’s degree of public commitment primarily on their monetary contributions to DEI matters or organizations fighting racial injustice.
Forms of monetary support we look for:
One-off donations
Recurring donations
Grant initiatives
Employee donation matching
Highlights
We have not identified any notable highlights for this brand.
Lowlights
In August, subsidiary & Other Stories used the n-word in a product overview. As a result, H&M's HQ published a new set of diversity action items, but some of their deadlines are not until the end of 2021. Organizationally, the Board of Directors and Executive Leadership Team has zero Black or BIPOC representation; while this may be due to HQ's location in Sweden, the brand's massive American presence absolutely constitutes the need for diversity in the company's leadership.
We scour the company’s website and official social media channels to determine what message they are sending around racial injustice, how they are communicating it, and whether their communications are perceived as genuine or performative.
Public statement: We verify that companies have made a formal statement regarding racial injustice.
Social media: We consider how a company uses their platform(s) beyond performative allyship.
Representation: For companies that have the opportunity to showcase diversity in their feed, we consider whether they have adequate Black representation and BIPOC representation across their models.
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Deep Dive
I. Internal Representation & Support:
Board of Directors:
0% (none) Black, 0% (none) BIPOC, > 50% Women
Executive Leadership:
0% (none) Black, 0% (none) BIPOC, 36% - 40% Women
> 15% Black, > 40% BIPOC, > 50% Women
Workforce:
An appointed DEI senior leader and/or a dedicated DEI organization
DEI Support:
II. Public Commitment
H&M has pledged a donation of 0.001% - 0.009% of annual revenue towards racial injustice, specifically for Black lives. Additionally, H&M has engaged in actions that advance racial justice and/or uplift BIPOC communities, such as partnerships with nonprofits or mission-based organizations. H&M is also an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and people living with disabilities.
III. External Communications
H&M has issued a public statement, both on social media and in a public memo, addressing racial injustice The public statement acknowledged that they can be doing better to combat racial inequality within their company, included specific calls to action, and explicitly stated "Black Lives Matter." Since June 2020, 0.1% - 9% of the brand's social media content has been centered around racial injustice having only posted a "Blackout Tuesday" post. While the brand has made an effort to include ethnic diversity, specifically increasing Black representation, and has shown inclusion through featuring a range of models, there is little to no evidence of their support of the LGBTQ+ community on social media beyond a post for Pride.
