Doing the right thing at the worst time: this is why protecting human rights protects businesses

While the coronavirus pandemic has ushered in new challenges for companies around the world, it’s also laid bare injustices that have been with us for generations. In the US, we have seen this in the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has had on Black and Latino Americans, who are twice as likely to die of the virus. And in recent months, the tragic murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and so many others have brought about a long overdue reckoning with the realities of systemic racism in America.

While it has been a difficult few months, it is often the times of greatest struggle that serve as catalysts for our greatest progress. And, as painful as this moment in our history has been for so many, I have been inspired to see people of all backgrounds, ages, and races join hands and honestly reexamine the present in order to bring about a more just future.

Everyone has a role to play in this movement—and that includes corporations, who need to do much more than post a black square to their Instagram before going back to business as usual. That means taking real action on racial justice here in America and standing up for human rights across the world.

After all, the fight for progress is not limited to any one country—it has always been universal. As the late Congressman John Lewis once said, “We are one people, one family, the human family, and what affects one of us affects us all.” That is why, at HP, in addition to all of the steps we’re taking in support of racial equality here at home, we are also committed to living by our values in every community in which we operate—across our supply chain.

Around the world, we have hundreds of production suppliers and thousands of nonproduction suppliers. And like other companies of our scale and scope, our supply chain faces risks of exploitation and abuse of workers. But ever since we joined the UN Global Compact nearly two decades ago, we have been working to address social and environmental issues across our supply chain, requiring all who do business with HP to uphold ethical business practices at all times—and auditing them regularly to ensure that they do.

To that end, we’ve implemented robust due diligence, leading standards and policies, and proactive skills, wellbeing, and capability programmes—and we have taken strong action to safeguard these workers and address violations where they occur.

It’s not only the right thing to do—we also know that an ethical, sustainable, and resilient supply chain protects our business and brand, strengthens customer relationships, and creates opportunities to innovate.

This work is what has enabled us to become one of the 10 most sustainable companies, according to Barron’s. And it’s why, this year, we released our first Human Rights Progress Report—so we can document our successes and bring to light the areas where we must do better.

Because until everyone has access to their basic human rights—safety, healthcare, education, a life free of discrimination—we still have work to do.

I understand that right now, many business leaders might be more focused on figuring out how to keep their companies afloat than standing up for their values. In recent months, many across the world have had to make sacrifices to make payroll, pay rent, and stay open.

In fact, just last year, our Sustainable Impact work helped drive more than $1.6 billion in sales wins.

As our founders, Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, were known to say: “The biggest competitive advantage is to do the right thing at the worst time.”

They founded this company more than eighty years ago, but their words are as true as ever. Because as we’ve seen in recent months, when times are toughest—at the very moment when it’s hardest to do what you know is right—that’s when you can make the biggest difference. As companies, we each have platforms to drive positive societal change. And there has never been a more important moment for us to use our platforms to stand up for human rights, in our country and all around the world, than right now.