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Speaking Out and Standing in Solidarity

To:         Hasbro Global Employees
From:    Brian  Goldner, CEO and Chairman
RE:         Coming Together 

As you may remember, almost exactly one year ago, I took the pledge for  CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, joining a coalition of companies vowing to cultivate a workplace where employees feel encouraged to discuss Diversity & Inclusion, and where diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected. 

In light of that commitment, I feel it’s only right to address the horrific killing of George Floyd, and the pervasive racist events that continue to plague our society. I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge what you may be feeling, and re-affirm Hasbro’s zero tolerance policy for racism, bigotry and violence. 

While we don’t have all the answers, I can assure you that we have never been more committed to fostering a culture of inclusion and using our brands, our entertainment and our influence to make a difference in this world, at a time that’s filled with tragedy, sorrow and pain. 

We know that many of you have very personal and painful feelings about these issues, so we will be hosting a series of forums beginning this week for you to share your thoughts and experiences. This is a time that calls for action, and by encouraging dialogue, we hope to develop further understanding around these issues and join together to drive meaningful change. 

Additionally, our eOne Music team, in solidarity with the entire music industry, is pausing all operations on Tuesday. 

At Hasbro, our purpose is to Make the World a Better Place for Children and their Families. This means ALL children.  And ALL families. 

Brian Goldner

 

To:         Hasbro Global Employees
From:    Brian Goldner, CEO and Chairman
RE:         Speaking Out and Standing in Solidarity

As a follow up to our message on Monday, we wanted to share with you some of the immediate actions we are taking to  stand in solidarity with those fighting systemic racism against the Black community, and to support our employees and communities as we fight this injustice, together.

  • We are participating in #BlackOutTuesday across all social media channels. No other posts will be made, and we encourage you to repost/share on your own channels. Many of our eOne Music, TV and Film team members, in solidarity with the entertainment industry, are pausing all operations today, and Dungeons & Dragons will not be presenting live stream broadcasting this week. 

  • Hasbro, eOne and Wizards of the Coast have made charitable donations to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, Black Girls Code, and the Equal Justice Initiative. We encourage those of you who can to support these organizations. U.S. employees can donate through payroll deduction on our Employee Giving  site. eOne and global employees can give directly through the organizations’ websites above.

  • As referenced in Monday’s memo, we will be hosting forums for employees to share their experience and engage in dialogue to drive meaningful change. We are working closely with Diversity & Inclusion representatives from across all teams and will be kicking this off on June 3 with a conversation with John Frascotti. We will be scheduling additional forums throughout the summer to ensure all employees have an opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas with each other and senior leadership. We are also setting up a Yammer group for additional conversation.

  • We are compiling resources on Degreed for those interested in educating yourself on the issues and ways to make a difference. We will also be including resources for managers, knowing you want to support your team members who are each working through this in their own way. You can also visit the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion website for educational materials and videos. 

  • Finally, we would like to offer time off to any employee who would like to volunteer or make their voice heard in their own community. There are ways to make progress, peacefully, and we encourage you to get involved. 

EVERYONE deserves basic human rights, and we can do better. Let us stand together, make our voices heard, and continue to fight this injustice.

Brian Goldner

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