Excessive CEO pay

As You Sow's 2023 report, 'The 100 Most Overpaid CEOs', reveals the 100 most overpaid CEOs from USA's 500 largest public companies (as determined by the S&P 500 list). This company's CEO, Josh Silverman came in at number 55 on the list, having been paid US$40,584,292 in 2022. According to the report, "Most CEOs have come to be grossly overpaid, and that overpayment is harmful to the companies, the shareholders, the customers, the other employees, the economy, and society as a whole."

Source: As You Sow (2023)

CEO Pay Ratio of 66:1

In 2022 the median pay for a worker at this company was US$248,232. The CEO was paid 66 times this amount. Exorbitant CEO pay is a major contributor to rising inequality. CEOs are getting more because of their power to set pay, not because they are increasing productivity or possess specific, high-demand skills. The economy would suffer no harm if CEOs were paid less (or taxed more). In contrast, the CEO-to-typical-worker compensation ratio was 20-to-1 in 1965 and 58-to-1 in 1989.

Source: AFL-CIO (2023)

Criticisms over seller fees and more

Etsy has faced criticism for high seller fees (6.5% transaction, 12–15% ad fees), payment reserves freezing up to 75% of earnings, counterfeit goods from dropshippers, abrupt account suspensions with poor support, and greenwashing claims about carbon offsets. Sellers also decry the platform's shift from its handmade ethos post-2013.

Source: The Guardian (2023)

Climate action commitments

As listed on the We Mean Business website, this company has committed to the following climate action initiatives: commit to 100% renewable power; adopt a science-based emissions reduction target.

Source: We Mean Business (2023)

Gender equality

This company appears on the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, signifying a commitment to supporting gender equality through policy development, representation, and transparency.

Source: Bloomberg (2023)

Sustainability claims

This company has sustainability claims on its website in the areas of net zero emissions and supporting small businesses.

Source: company website (2023)

Copyright infringement issues

Etsy is notorious for large numbers of copyright infringement claims. Since the online platform allows users to sell vintage and handcrafted items, this form of copyright infringment is common on the site. Because of this, copyright owners must be especially vigilant. In its user agreement, Etsy states that it is not liable for instances of infringement.

Source: Mandour Law (2018)

Former B Corp

This company was a B Corp from 2012 to 2017, however they are no longer certified. Certified B Corporations, or B Corps, are companies verified by B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

Source: B Lab (2024)

JUST Capital ranking

JUST Capital polls Americans every year to identify the issues that matter most in defining just business behaviour. For their 2025 rankings the public identified 17 issues, which are organised under the headings Workers, Communities, Customers, Shareholders and Environment. JUST Capital then define metrics that map to those issues and track and analyse the largest, publicly traded U.S. companies. This analysis powers their rankings, in which this company ranked 434th of 940 companies, and 11th of 43 Retail companies.

Source: JUST Capital (2025)