Kathmandu— A new report from the Institute for Policy Studies highlights how CEOs of companies employing a significant number of low-wage workers have remained silent in the face of rising economic and personal security threats. These threats include aggressive ICE actions targeting immigrant workers, drastic cuts to public assistance programs, and attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. Instead of addressing these issues, the report finds that CEOs have prioritized tax cuts for the wealthy and stock buybacks, exacerbating income inequality.

Silence Amidst Threats

The report identifies a group of 100 S&P 500 firms with the lowest median wages, dubbed the 'Low-Wage 100.' These companies have not publicly addressed threats to their workers, including ICE actions and cuts to public assistance programs. The CEOs have also rolled back DEI programs designed to expand opportunities for disadvantaged employees.

Budget Bill Priorities

The July 2025 budget bill was a top priority for these corporate leaders. This legislation will cut Medicaid and SNAP benefits, impacting millions of Americans who rely on these programs, while providing tax cuts to the wealthy and increasing ICE funding. Under the new law, CEOs will benefit from lower taxes, with average CEO compensation in the Low-Wage 100 reaching $17.5 million in 2025.

Stock Buybacks

Low-Wage 100 firms have spent over $718 billion on stock buybacks, a practice that artificially inflates share values and enriches executives through stock-based compensation. For example, Lowe’s home improvement store could have given each of its 276,000 employees an annual bonus of $24,235 with the money spent on buybacks over seven years.

Policy Solutions

To address these issues, policymakers are exploring options such as increasing taxes on stock buybacks and implementing tax hikes on corporations that pay their CEOs excessively high salaries relative to worker wages. A bipartisan provision in the Senate defense authorization bill would also prohibit military contractors from engaging in CEO pay-inflating stock buybacks.

The report underscores the need for lawmakers to take action to curb executive excess and address income inequality, as corporate leaders have shown they are unlikely to voluntarily do so.

(With inputs from CounterPunch)

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Originally published on abcnews.com.np.