Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

Cintas Corporation operates in the specialty business services sector, focusing on uniforms and facility services, and does not directly provide financial services such as lending, insurance, or deposit products.

The company's activities therefore do not align with the criteria for the "Fair Money & Economic Opportunity" value, which covers activities related to lending, insuring, moving, or storing money. While Cintas engages in philanthropic initiatives, these do not constitute direct financial services or products relevant to the KPIs for this value.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

Cintas Corporation has faced significant legal challenges and incurred substantial penalties related to employment practices. Since 2000, the company has accumulated over $41 million in penalties for employment-related offenses, including more than $32 million for wage and hour violations and nearly $4 million for employment discrimination.

Specific instances include a 2019 settlement of $424,463 for allegations of hiring and pay discrimination against female and minority applicants, and a 2015 settlement of $1.5 million for sex discrimination in hiring. Earlier, Cintas settled class-action lawsuits for violating living wage ordinances, including $6.5 million in 2009 (with $3.3 million in back wages for over 500 workers), over $1.65 million in 2008 (affecting more than 200 workers), and over $800,000 in 2005 (for 219 workers). In 2020, a class-action lawsuit was filed alleging denial of proper wages and breaks to California employees. On a positive note, Cintas was recognized in 2021 as a 'Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion', achieving a score of 90 on the Disability Equality Index.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

Cintas requires all its suppliers to comply with its Vendor Code of Conduct, which mandates adherence to international labor standards, including prohibitions against forced labor, child labor, harassment, and discrimination.

The code also requires fair compensation, reasonable working hours, and safe working conditions. Compliance is enforced through comprehensive 310-point announced and unannounced assessments conducted by reputable third-party auditing firms. Non-compliance with zero-tolerance issues, such as human trafficking or forced labor, can result in immediate corrective action or termination of the business relationship.

Honest & Fair Business

Cintas incurred a $45.0 million tentative legal settlement in March 2024 related to a contract dispute.

The company has reported no financial restatements for fiscal years 2023, 2024, and 2025. Cintas operates under a Code of Conduct and Business Ethics that mandates full compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and a Vendor Code of Conduct that emphasizes anti-bribery and includes assessments for adherence. , The company provides several confidential and anonymous channels for all employee-partners to report ethics or safety concerns, with established procedures for handling complaints that are reviewed by the Audit Committee. ,

Kind to Animals

The provided articles do not contain specific, quantifiable information regarding Cintas Corporation's animal welfare practices. There is no data on cruelty-free certifications, alternative testing methods, humane certifications for operations, or measurable wildlife conservation impacts.

The articles also lack details on the ethical substitution of animal inputs, the percentage of suppliers audited for animal welfare compliance, or cage-free sourcing percentages. Furthermore, no information is available on animal testing policies, animal testing volume, R&D investment in animal-free technologies, animal agriculture ethics, animal-free R&D collaboration, or public policy engagement related to animal welfare.

No War, No Weapons

Cintas Corporation explicitly states it does not engage in the production of weapons or military gear.

The company has secured minor contracts with military-related entities for non-lethal support services, including a $196,700 Blanket Purchase Agreement for safety shoes with the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant in 2021 , a $48,000 contract for lab coat maintenance with the Naval Research Laboratory in 2022 , and a $37,600 contract for mat services with the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System in 2022 . As the company does not produce weapons, it has no defense assets to divest.

Planet-Friendly Business

Cintas Corporation has announced an ambition to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The provided information does not detail any interim milestones or specific reduction pathways for this target.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

The provided articles describe Cintas's general commitment to community service through its 'Cintas Cares' program

and a $15,000 donation to the Henry the Hand Foundation for local schools . The company also participates in the HBCU Partnership Challenge and has been recognized for inclusive workplace practices, including supporting Hispanic and Latin communities . However, the articles do not provide specific, quantifiable data points for any of the KPIs related to formal partnerships with indigenous or local community groups, revenue reinvested in local development, cultural appropriation incidents, cultural impact assessment protocols, local employment ratios, grievance mechanisms for community concerns, cultural preservation investments, indigenous supplier engagement, or cultural site protection. Therefore, no KPIs can be scored based on the provided evidence.

Safe & Smart Tech

Cintas requires all partners to complete annual cybersecurity and data protection training, covering topics such as social engineering, phishing, and confidential data protection.

The company provides excellent user privacy controls, offering EEA/UK and Canadian residents rights to access, correct, update, suppress, restrict, delete, object to processing, and request data copies, in addition to opt-out options for promotional communications. Cintas maintains a very strong regulatory compliance program, explicitly adhering to GDPR and various Canadian privacy laws. Compliance efforts did not materially affect capital expenditures or operations in fiscal 2024. and filed an 8-K for a data incident in 2020.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

Cintas has implemented several waste reduction initiatives. Multiple distribution centers, including those in Chicago

, Mason (Ohio) , Reno , Toronto , and Dallas , have achieved TRUE Zero Waste Gold or Platinum certification by diverting over 90% of waste from landfills and incineration . The company also introduced 'Perfect Fit' trash can liners in partnership with Rubbermaid Commercial Products in June 2023 , designed to reduce excess plastic use . Furthermore, Cintas has adopted water reuse technologies, such as Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) systems , achieving water reuse rates exceeding 30% in some facilities .