Dollar General Corporation
DG
Consumer Staples
4
exclusion reasons
3 themes
This page is part of our public exclusion list — a transparency tool that shows which companies we screen out and why. It is not investment advice, and it is not an accusation. But it is subject to change as our understanding of the facts evolves.
Dollar General has faced multiple securities fraud allegations related to its accounting practices. In 2005, the company settled with the SEC for accounting fraud, agreeing to a permanent injunction without admitting or denying the allegations. The Commission's complaint specifically alleged that Dollar General improperly deferred freight expenses in order to meet internal financial targets, including employee bonus goals.
More recently, the law firm Edelson Lechtzin LLP announced an investigation into securities fraud claims on behalf of purchasers of Dollar General stock in January 2024. This followed a separate $15 million class action settlement in January 2026 over allegations of consumer fraud related to product warranties under state consumer protection laws. The company's own regulatory filings acknowledge that ongoing legal proceedings pose a material risk to its business and financial condition.
An NLRB administrative law judge ruled Dollar General violated federal labor law by interfering with workers' rights to organize. The company has a pattern of aggressive opposition to unionization across its retail store network.
Dollar General was fined $12M by OSHA following 49 worker and customer deaths and 172 injuries at its stores since 2014. Systematic failure to maintain safe conditions across thousands of locations.
Dollar General has been repeatedly cited by OSHA for egregious workplace safety violations, including blocked fire exits, unstable stacking, and hazardous store conditions. The company has faced millions in OSHA penalties across hundreds of inspections for systematically unsafe working conditions.
Research Sources
9 organizations
Related Exclusions
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Companies appear on our exclusion list based on our investment judgment — not because they've done anything illegal. This is a difference of values and opinion, not an accusation of wrongdoing. Exclusion does not constitute a recommendation against investing in any company, and absence from the list does not constitute a recommendation to invest.
This information is provided for educational and transparency purposes only and should not be relied upon as investment advice. Data is drawn from independent watchdogs, NGOs, government registries, and Ethical Capital's ongoing research — see Research Sources for the full list.
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