Robert Half Inc. (RHI) — ESG & Values Scores

Environment story

Robert Half has disclosed SBTi-validated emissions targets established in 2023 but does not provide granular Scope 1, 2, or 3 emissions data in available filings. The company acknowledges climate-related risks including wildfire exposure at California headquarters and potential business disruption from extreme weather. The 10-K reveals no quantified renewable energy percentage, operational decarbonization initiatives, or verified net-zero target year. Risk factor disclosure on ESG commitments suggests vulnerability to greenwashing allegations and regulatory ambiguity. No evidence of carbon offsets or supply-chain emissions quantification. The company faces reputational and market risks if SBTi targets are not achieved.

Criticisms on file

Greenwashing Risk & Conflicting ESG Expectations
Source: RHI 10-K Item 1A Risk Factors: 'Failure to meet evolving and increasingly contradictory expectations for action or inaction on sustainability and ESG commitments...could harm the Company's reputation...anti-ESG and anti-DEI sentiment has gained momentum...conflicting regulations...enhanced compliance risks and costs.'
Scope 3 Emissions Undisclosed
Source: RHI 10-K: No quantified Scope 3 emissions or supply-chain carbon footprint data provided; no evidence of decarbonization pathway for supply-chain operations.
Wildfire & Climate Physical Risk Exposure
Source: RHI 10-K Item 1A Risk Factors: 'Company's headquarters are located in areas of California where the incidence of wildfire has increased over time and may continue to increase.'

Disclosed initiatives

Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi) Validation

Company established emissions targets in 2023 and submitted them for validation to SBTi, with targets designed to have positive impact on climate.

Targets validated but specific parameters and net-zero year not disclosed in 10-K.
Climate Risk Monitoring

Company acknowledges and monitors physical climate risks including wildfire risk at California headquarters and potential extreme weather impacts on operations.

Reactive posture; no proactive physical infrastructure decarbonization mentioned.

Social story

Robert Half faces significant labor litigation and wage-and-hour compliance challenges. The company is defending multiple certified and putative class-action lawsuits alleging wage misclassification, failure to pay overtime, non-compliance with wage statements, and California PAGA violations. Leadership diversity metrics are not disclosed in the 10-K. CEO-to-median-worker pay ratio is undisclosed. No union-suppression activities documented but union organizing interest is acknowledged as a regulatory risk. The company maintains insurance for workplace liability claims but acknowledges exposure. Supply-chain labor practices are not audited or disclosed. Talent solutions business model creates employer-of-record liability for temporary workers' discrimination, harassment, and confidentiality claims.

Criticisms on file

Multiple Wage-and-Hour Class Action Lawsuits
Source: RHI 10-K Item 1A Risk Factors: 'Company and certain subsidiaries are defendants in several certified or putative class and representative action lawsuits brought by or on behalf of...current and former employees alleging violations of federal and state law with respect to certain wage and hour related matters...misclassification of certain employees as exempt employees...failure to comply with wage statement requirements...failure to compensate certain employees for time spent performing activities related to the interviewing process.'
California PAGA Litigation
Source: RHI 10-K Item 1A Risk Factors: 'Company is defending several claims brought under the California Labor Code Private Attorney General Act ('PAGA')...which authorizes individuals to file lawsuits to seek civil penalties on behalf of themselves and other employees for alleged labor code violations.'
Employer-of-Record Liability for Temporary Employees
Source: RHI 10-K Item 1A Risk Factors: 'As the employer of record of its temporary employees, the Company incurs a risk of liability to its temporary employees for various workplace events, including claims of physical injury, discrimination, harassment or failure to protect confidential or personal information.'
Undisclosed Leadership Diversity
Source: RHI 10-K: No gender, racial, or ethnic diversity metrics disclosed for executive or board leadership.
Supply-Chain Labor Audits Not Disclosed
Source: RHI 10-K: No evidence of supply-chain human-rights audits, living wage commitments, or conflict-minerals policies disclosed.

Disclosed initiatives

Workplace Liability Insurance

Company maintains insurance to cover claims of discrimination, harassment, injury, and confidentiality breaches by temporary workers placed at client sites.

Risk transfer mechanism; does not address underlying wage classification and compliance issues.
Cybersecurity Training for Remote Workers

Company addresses phishing and cybersecurity risks for remote-working temporary employees accessing client systems via personal devices and cloud-based platforms.

Mitigation of data breach and liability risk; no evidence of social impact programs.

Governance story

Robert Half maintains a single-class common-stock structure with no dual-class voting rights, supporting governance baseline. Board independence percentage is not disclosed in the 10-K. The company discloses no material lobbying expenditures targeting environmental deregulation or consumer-protection rollbacks. However, the company faces significant regulatory proceedings and litigation: multiple wage-and-hour class actions, PAGA claims in California, and FCPA/economic sanctions compliance risks given international operations in higher-corruption jurisdictions. Management acknowledges complex tax audit exposure and evolving AI regulatory uncertainty. No material antitrust or SEC consent decrees are disclosed. The company's governance framework addresses AI risk management, data privacy (GDPR, CCPA compliance), and internal controls, but board oversight metrics are opaque.

Criticisms on file

Multiple Wage-and-Hour Regulatory Proceedings and Class Litigation
Source: RHI 10-K Item 1A Risk Factors: 'Company and certain subsidiaries are defendants in several certified or putative class and representative action lawsuits...wage and hour related matters...PAGA claims...It is not possible to predict the outcome of these lawsuits. However, these lawsuits may consume substantial amounts of the Company's financial and managerial resources and might result in adverse publicity regardless of the ultimate outcome.'
FCPA and Economic Sanctions Compliance Risk
Source: RHI 10-K Item 1A Risk Factors: 'In many parts of the world, including countries in which the Company operates and/or seeks to expand, practices in the local business community might not conform to international business standards and could violate the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act...violation of the FCPA or other applicable Anti-Bribery Laws could result in substantial fines, sanctions or civil and/or criminal penalties.'
Complex International Tax Exposure
Source: RHI 10-K Item 1A Risk Factors: 'Company is subject to income and other taxes in the U.S. and international jurisdictions...routinely subject to tax examinations...Tax authorities have disagreed...OECD...has introduced a framework to impose a 15% global minimum corporate tax...Pillar Two...effective for tax years beginning in 2024.'
AI Regulatory Uncertainty
Source: RHI 10-K Item 1A Risk Factors: 'Uncertainty in the legal regulatory regime relating to AI may require significant resources to modify and maintain business practices to comply with U.S. and non-U.S. laws...European Union passed the Artificial Intelligence Act in 2024...Company expects other jurisdictions will adopt similar legislation.'
Board Independence Metrics Not Disclosed
Source: RHI 10-K: Board independence percentage, board composition, and executive compensation governance disclosures not provided in the 10-K filing.

Disclosed initiatives

AI Governance and Risk Management Framework

Company established governance, monitoring and security controls designed to manage AI use, including controls related to data access, data retention, model training, prompt inputs/outputs, explainability, auditability and third-party risk management.

Acknowledged controls are evolving and may not mature at pace of vendor deployment; risk of retrofitting controls post-deployment.
Data Privacy Compliance (GDPR, CCPA, State Laws)

Company maintains compliance programs for GDPR, CCPA, and multiple state privacy laws; collects personal data from clients, employees, candidates and contractors.

Compliance increases operating costs and management time; breach litigation risk under CCPA private right of action remains.
Anti-Bribery and Sanctions Compliance

Company implemented policies and procedures to ensure compliance with FCPA, UK Bribery Act, U.S. export control laws, economic sanctions, and anti-forced labor regulations.

Policies in place but enforcement depends on employee behavior; detection and investigation are expensive and time-consuming.
Internal Controls and Financial Reporting

Company maintains processes for financial and management controls; acknowledges criticality of adequate controls to prevent errors in financial reporting.

Framework established; management certifies internal control effectiveness, subject to auditor opinion.

These are Missionomics' own editorial scores — directional signals built from disclosed facts under a published method, not certifications or definitive ratings of Robert Half Inc.. Coverage and confidence vary by data point, and figures can lag real-world changes. Read the full Methodology for sourcing, scoring, and correction details — or open Robert Half Inc. in the app for interactive charts and portfolio building.

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