Employment quality and 10-K report readability

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between firms’ employment quality and annual report readability. Using 9,366 U.S. firm-year observations from 1994 to 2018, we find that a favorable employment quality is positively associated with a more readable 10-K report. Such a positive relationship can be observed when firms recruit industry-specialist auditors and when employees are considered important stakeholders to the firm. However, we find a negative association between employment quality and 10-K report readability when there is a presence of firm-level unionization. Our findings inform policymakers that initiatives to promote disclosure readability may be undermined by firms that place less emphasis on employment quality. Further, firm-level unionization can reduce the incentive for firms with a favorable employment quality to provide readable disclosures.