MASHINIi

J.C. Penney Company Inc..

JCP.US | Other retail sale in non-specialized stores

J.C. Penney Company Inc. is a department store retailer. The company, through its subsidiary J.C. Penney Corporation, Inc., sells merchandise and services to consumers through its department stores and website. JCPenney offers a wide assortment of private, exclusive and national brands. The company'...Show More

Ethical Profile

Mixed.

J.C. Penney's ethical profile shows mixed signals. Critics highlight a high CEO-to-median employee pay ratio, reaching 753-to-1 in 2017 (median pay $14,366). OSHA cited the company for repeat safety violations in 2010, with proposed penalties of $80,700. Reports suggest a former employee filed a whistleblower claim alleging unethical pricing practices. A 2008 data breach compromised 650,000 customer records, including 150,000 Social Security numbers. Conversely, JCPenney is an 18-time ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year, reducing energy use intensity by 3.1% in 2023. The company aims for 100% preferred sustainable fibers in private label products by 2026 and recycled 59 million plastic bottles in 2022. JCPenney states a zero-tolerance policy for prison labor and conducts third-party ethical sourcing audits.

Value Scores

Better Health for All0
-100100
Fair Money & Economic Opportunity0
-100100
Fair Pay & Worker Respect-40
-100100
Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing0
-100100
Honest & Fair Business-40
-100100
Kind to Animals0
-100100
No War, No Weapons0
-100100
Planet-Friendly Business0
-100100
Respect for Cultures & Communities0
-100100
Safe & Smart Tech0
-100100
Zero Waste & Sustainable Products-40
-100100

Better Health for All

0

No evidence available to assess J.C. Penney Company Inc. on Better Health for All.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

0

J.C. Penney is primarily a department store retailer. The 'Fair Money & Economic Opportunity' value assesses activities related to lending, insuring, moving, or storing money for consumers. The provided articles contain no specific, concrete data points regarding J.C. Penney's involvement in offering such financial services or products to its customers. Evidence found relates to retail pricing, employee benefits, charitable donations, or general corporate ethics, which do not align with the financial services focus of the Key Performance Indicators for this value. Therefore, all KPIs for this value are omitted due to a lack of relevant evidence.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

-40

J.C. Penney's CEO-to-median employee pay ratio was 753-to-1 in 2017.

1
The median employee compensation for a part-time hourly associate was reported at $14,366 in the same year.
2
This ratio was the highest among the top 100 publicly traded companies in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
3

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

0

An internal investigation spanning decades found no evidence of using prison labor in any part of JCPenney's business.

1
The company maintains a zero-tolerance policy against prison, indentured, bonded, slave, forced, or compulsory labor, and its supplier contracts require a strict prohibition of forced labor.
2
JCPenney conducts annual risk assessments of its supply chain
3
and subjects factories producing private brand merchandise to unannounced social audits by third-party auditors.
4

Honest & Fair Business

-40

J.C. Penney maintains a formal whistleblower hotline, JCPLine, available 24/7.

1
However, there is no evidence provided regarding independent investigation processes for whistleblower reports. A former employee filed a claim alleging retaliation, stating he was fired after reporting instances of charging customers full price for sale items and collecting sales tax on non-taxable items.
2
J.C. Penney subsequently sued the employee for theft of trade secrets, a suit which was later dropped, and a separate arbitration claim for retaliation was filed.
3
No specific quantitative data is available for regulatory fines, transparency index scores, financial restatements, audit coverage, ESG controversy scores, complaint resolution times, board conflict-free percentages, anti-corruption policy details beyond its existence, or third-party verification of ethical claims.

Kind to Animals

0

No specific, concrete data points were found in the provided articles to assess JCP.US against any of the 'Kind to Animals' KPIs. While some articles mention JCPenney's involvement in general sustainability initiatives like the Cotton LEADS program

1
or responsible sourcing audits
2
, these do not provide quantifiable data directly related to animal welfare, such as cruelty-free certifications, animal testing practices, humane certifications for operations, wildlife conservation impact with species recovery metrics, or the percentage of animal-derived inputs replaced with ethical alternatives. Conflicting information regarding the company's fur policy also lacks the quantifiable data needed for scoring.

No War, No Weapons

0

No specific, quantitative evidence was provided in the articles to assess J.C. Penney Company Inc. against any of the 'No War, No Weapons' ethical KPIs. The articles discuss general responsible sourcing practices and human rights principles

1
but lack concrete data points such as revenue from defense contracts, investment in peacebuilding, or details on conflict-related supply chain management.
2

Planet-Friendly Business

0

JCPenney achieved an 80% domestic waste recycling rate in 2016

1
and works to prevent over 35 million hangers from landfills annually.
2
The company has been recognized with the ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year award for 18 consecutive years, including the Sustained Excellence Award for 16 years as of 2023.
3
In 2023, it achieved a 3.1% reduction in energy use intensity across 613 stores
4
and completed its largest lighting retrofit impacting 255 stores.
5
From 2015 to 2018, Scope 1 and 2 emissions were reduced by 19.6%.
6
The company also reduced domestic water consumption by 12% and landscape irrigation by 66% from 2012 to 2016.
7

Respect for Cultures & Communities

0

The company has no reported cultural appropriation incidents across the provided articles.

1

Safe & Smart Tech

0

JCPenney emphasizes ethical AI implementation, including bias monitoring, transparency, and human oversight

1
. Users can request the deletion of their personal information through email support
2
.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

-40

J.C. Penney achieved an 80% waste diversion rate for its annual domestic waste in 2016, an increase of 9% since 2014.

1
The company set a target to recycle 85% of its annual domestic waste by 2020.
2
Waste to landfill decreased by 5,000 tons from 2014 to 2016.
3
The company's waste reduction initiatives include recycling 89,000 tons of cardboard in 2009
4
, recycling enough hangers to go around the earth almost 2 times in 2009
5
, and preventing over 35 million hangers from landfill annually.
6
J.C. Penney has also recycled 59 million plastic bottles into fiber for new products through a partnership with REPREVE.
7
In its supply chain, J.C. Penney encourages factories and mills to become OEKO-TEX®-certified for chemical safety
8
and is implementing new chemical standards guided by the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL).
9
The company provides customer education with tips to reduce environmental impact at home, such as choosing sustainable materials and buying products in bulk.
10
Historically, in 1988/1989, J.C. Penney was fined
11
and pleaded no contest to two misdemeanor counts for illegally dumping hazardous waste, including flammable liquid, into a landfill.
12

Own J.C. Penney Company Inc.?

Upload your portfolio and see how all your holdings score across 11 ethical dimensions.

Audit My Portfolio

AI-generated analysis based on publicly available data. Not financial advice. Ratings are expressions of opinion derived from automated models and may contain inaccuracies. See our Risk Disclosure for full details.