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SC Johnson Statement on Racism and Discrimination

Racism and discrimination are egregious, global issues that devastate individuals, their families and communities. We have absolutely zero tolerance for racism or discrimination in any form. There is simply no place for it at SC Johnson, or in the world.

For more than a century, SC Johnson has been guided by certain basic principles about the people to whom we are responsible and whose trust we want to earn. Chief among these are integrity, responsibility and respect. We uphold these principles in all aspects of our business and our interactions with each other.

But no one company or organization can solve these issues alone. It will require working collectively as a society toward solutions.

Please read below to learn more about some of our work in the community and inside our company.

Supporting Underserved Communities 

We’re passionate about providing opportunities for a better quality of life for people around the world and supporting stronger, healthier communities that value and respect the dignity of each person as an individual human being. 

In that spirit, we have a long-term commitment to supporting underserved communities and minority populations. Here are several of the organizations and efforts we have supported for many years:

  • For 15 years, SC Johnson has supported the United Negro College Fund Walk/Run in Milwaukee, and we have supported the UNCF Mayors Ball since its inception.
  • For more than a decade, our Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Program has immersed more than 1,000 students in African American culture and encouraged them to celebrate the profound legacy of Dr. King through community engagement.
  • We have consistently supported local programs including the Milwaukee Urban League Black & White Ball, the Racine NAACP Freedom Fund Dinner and the City of Racine Juneteenth Celebration.
  • For several decades, we have partnered with Gateway Technical College to create educational and workforce development opportunities for disadvantaged students.
  • We also have donated to Homeless Assistance Leadership Organization, the United Way of Racine County, local food banks and other relief organizations in the Racine area that reach underserved and primarily minority members of the community.

Supporting Timely Community Needs in 2020

Recently, we made donations totaling over $500,000 supporting organizations in Chicago and Racine. These include:

  • Donations to Chicago Neighborhood Initiatives will support a small business repair program and micro-lending to minority-owned businesses.
  • Donations to Sunshine Enterprises Chicago will help entrepreneurs living in under-resourced neighborhoods to grow their businesses and transform their communities.
  • And in Racine, we will fund initiatives with the city to improve relationships between the community and local police.

For more than 80 years, SC Johnson has given 5 percent of all pretax profits to charities. Over the last 10 years, we have donated tens of millions of dollars to organizations that assist underserved and primarily minority populations.

Diversity and Inclusion at SC Johnson

We are strongly committed to creating a diverse, inclusive workplace that treats everyone with integrity and respects each person as an individual human being. We believe cultivating diversity and inclusion is fundamental to how we hire, retain and inspire the best people. We make diversity and inclusion a priority today and for the future. 

SC Johnson prohibits discrimination based on race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, culture, ethnicity, age, ability or any other factor that is not job related. Around the world, corporate employment policy requires that each SC Johnson company will provide equal employment opportunities for all qualified employees and applicants. Only job-related factors – such as job performance, training, experience or factors that are required to properly perform the job – may be used as a basis for employment selection. 

We launched our first formal diversity and inclusion initiative in 1992, when we established our Office of Diversity to recognize and support the unique backgrounds, talents and abilities of SC Johnson people.

We are proud of the recognition we have earned for creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. SC Johnson was named in Black EOE Journal as one of its 2019 Best of the Best Employers, which commends companies for their leadership in promoting diversity. SC Johnson also received a perfect score of 100% on the Human Rights Campaign’s 2020 Corporate Equality Index survey and has been named to Working Mother magazine’s list of 100 Best Companies for more than 30 years.

Supplier Expectations and Diversity

Our commitment to diversity is also embedded in how we operate as a business. We expect our suppliers to uphold the same values as we do, as outlined in our Supplier Code of Conduct.

We also see great value in working with qualified suppliers that offer diverse perspectives. We proactively seek out minority- and woman-owned suppliers, as well as those with primarily minority employees or employees with disabilities. These partnerships can be good for business, and also help strengthen the community and contribute to the economic well-being of an increased number of businesses and their employees.