Better Health for All

STAAR Surgical's primary products, ICLs, demonstrate exceptional health benefits, with clinical studies showing improved visual acuity in 97.4% and 95% of participants.

However, the company has faced safety challenges, including a Class 2 recall initiated in September 2023 for one unit of EVO VISIAN ICL due to a software design issue, which was open in 2024. Additionally, there were adverse event reports in 2024 for a lens failing to open during implantation and a patient experiencing a low vault, and a 2020 report of a lens being too small. The company's ICL surgery costs between $1,500 and $5,000 per eye. STAAR donates approximately 350 ICLs annually to non-profit clinics serving underprivileged populations through Project My Vision. The company reported zero monetary losses from legal proceedings related to false marketing claims or bribery/corruption in 2024, but the article discussing ICL risks also details potential side effects. STAAR invests in surgeon education and training, with over 1,200 healthcare professionals receiving EVO ICL training in 2024. The company reduced greenhouse gas intensity by 10% and freshwater usage by over 5% in 2024, but hazardous waste increased by approximately 6%. STAAR University provides clinical information and resources to surgeons. The company updated its Data Privacy and Security Policy and reported zero data security breaches in 2024.

Fair Money & Economic Opportunity

STAAR Surgical Company is a medical device manufacturer that sells implantable lenses to ophthalmic surgeons and hospitals, not a financial institution.

The company does not offer lending, insurance, or deposit services to consumers. Therefore, all KPIs under the 'Fair Money & Economic Opportunity' value, which are designed for financial services companies and focus on consumer financial products, lending practices, and financial inclusion initiatives, are not applicable to STAAR Surgical Company's core business model. While the company engages in charitable donations of products to underprivileged populations and provides corporate financial and product data, these activities do not align with the specific financial services definitions of the KPIs.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

STAAR Surgical reported a CEO to median employee pay ratio of 95:1 in 2024.

The company's Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) was 0.86 in 2024. In 2024, 83% of employees would recommend STAAR as a great place to work, based on their Voice of Employee survey. The global overall employee turnover rate was approximately 8% in 2024. The company reported zero fines or violations related to labor laws in the past two years. Additionally, 99% of employees are covered by comprehensive health and wellness benefits, including family coverage.

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing

STAAR Surgical's top risk tier suppliers, accounting for approximately 20% of supplier spend, undergo annual audits by STAAR's supplier quality team and third-party audits.

Suppliers in the second-highest risk tier, representing approximately 40% of supplier spend, are audited every two years. The company condemns and prohibits the use of forced labor, modern slavery, trafficking, and exploitative child labor, and has not faced any legal proceedings associated with bribery or corruption in 2020. STAAR maintains procedures and systems for product traceability, including part numbers for incoming materials and components for backward traceability, and unique serial numbers for Class III medical devices for forward traceability. Lot number traceability is maintained for non-Class III medical devices. The company's Supplier Code of Conduct applies to its vendors, and distributors must certify compliance with the Code annually. STAAR does not believe it is subject to a material risk related to the use of critical materials.

Honest & Fair Business

STAAR Surgical demonstrates mixed signals regarding honest and fair business practices. On the one hand, the company has a formal whistleblower protection policy with a dedicated hotline and website for reporting violations

, , . The corporate governance documents also emphasize board independence and require directors to disclose potential conflicts of interest , . However, STAAR Surgical is currently under investigation for potential securities law violations related to Q4 2024 earnings, specifically concerning potentially false or misleading statements , . The investigation is ongoing, and no findings have been released. There is no available data on regulatory fines, transparency index, financial restatements, audit coverage, ESG controversy index, complaint resolution time, or third-party verification , , , , , , , . Given the ongoing investigation but also the presence of some positive governance structures and the lack of conclusive evidence, a neutral score of 0 is most appropriate. More information is needed to determine the severity and impact of the investigation.

Kind to Animals

No specific, concrete evidence was found in the provided articles to assess STAAR Surgical Company against the 'Kind to Animals' ethical value for any of the defined KPIs. The articles mention the company's use of collagen derived from biological sources in its proprietary Collamer material for lenses.

There is no data on animal testing policies, volumes, or investment in animal-free alternatives by STAAR Surgical. Mentions of alternative testing methods or commitments to 3R principles in the articles refer to other entities or general industry aims, not specific actions or policies of STAAR Surgical.

No War, No Weapons

STAAR Surgical Company's core business is the design, development, manufacture, and marketing of implantable lenses for the eye. The provided articles consistently state that there is no mention of arms or defense contracts, dual-use technology, sales to embargoed or sanctioned regimes, peacebuilding or disarmament initiatives, conflict-zone divestment policies, defense-related business activities, export compliance, lobbying related to arms control, Arms Trade Treaty compliance, AI military safeguards, dual-use item screening, surveillance contracts, ethical red lines concerning weapons, controversial weapons, war-risk audits, conflict-related partner reviews, defense divestment, conflict minerals, peace technology investment, conflict zone procurement, or ethical red lines compliance rates.

Therefore, the company has no reported involvement in any activities related to war or weapons, and no specific policies or investments related to these areas are disclosed.

Planet-Friendly Business

The company's total GHG emissions (Scope 1 and 2) were 1,301.78 tCO₂e in 2022, with an overall reduction of more than 12% achieved in 2024.

Solar panel installations at Southern California facilities met approximately 30% of energy needs in 2024, generating 1,019 MWh of electricity. Water use intensity was 0.29 cubic feet per $1,000 USD in sales in 2023, which translates to approximately 0.82 m³ per $1 million revenue. Hazardous waste generated increased by approximately 6% in 2024 compared to 2023, due to increased production, and total hazardous waste was 63 tons in 2023. The company reported zero hazardous waste and environmental non-compliance incidents in 2023 and 2024, and zero enforcement actions for GMP violations in 2024.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

In 2024, 99% of employees completed cultural sensitivity training.

No other specific, quantitative evidence was found for the remaining KPIs related to Respect for Cultures & Communities.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

STAAR Surgical Company explicitly states it does not take back, reuse, or recycle its implantable medical devices due to their nature as implanted products and biological hazards, resulting in 0% product recyclability and no take-back program coverage.

The company has implemented several waste reduction initiatives, including transitioning from paper to electronic documentation, which saved 1.6 million pages of paper annually in 2021 and 16,525 lbs of paper in 2022 from eDFUs. They also use reusable lab coats in Switzerland, preventing 709 kg of waste in 2021. Hazardous waste management includes engaging certified vendors for disposal and annual wastewater testing, with zero violations in 2022 and 2024, and no violations in 2020. However, US hazardous waste generated increased by 2.31% in 2022 over 2021, and by approximately 6% in 2024 compared to 2023. The company has company-wide waste reduction targets related to paper savings, such as eliminating approximately 1,000,000 pages in 2023 with Electronic Work Order Kiosks. Supplier waste requirements include a Supplier Code of Conduct and audits based on risk, with all QMS suppliers required to sign the code. Customer waste education is provided through electronic Directions for Use (eDFU) and packaging containing the eDFU website address.