New Ranking Of Nation's Top Employers' Responses To Pandemic
Our new ranking, developed in conjunction with research partner JUST Capital, assesses how well the 100 largest employers among U.S. public companies mobilized to meet the challenges of the coronavirus.
As the pandemic swept through the nation, America’s businesses had to reevaluate their approach to everything from their employees and customers to the greater community. Many shut offices and shifted work online; others overhauled sick leave and dependent care policies; some increased pay or gave bonuses. For at least a time, the paramount concern for most corporations was not just profit and the bottom-line.
The new Forbes Corporate Responders ranking assesses how well the 100 largest employers among U.S. public companies responded to the public health crisis. It is a snapshot in time, analyzing companies’ policies from mid-March through May 7 across 22 categories, from relaxed attendance policies to community relief funds, on a rising scale of 1 to 5. The numbers were then averaged into an overall composite score. Verizon came out on top with a score of 3.87.
These companies are not free of controversies. Some have been criticized for ending policies, such as “hero” pay, too soon. Others are facing lawsuits for wrongful death of workers or allegedly failing to safeguard the health of staff and customers. Perhaps a bigger question is whether the policy changes brought out by Covid-19 will be temporary or have a lasting impact on corporate America. Only time will tell.
