The Clorox Company 401(k) Review & Grade
The Clorox Company 401(k) Plan
Oakland, CAManufacturing5,822 active participantsPlan year 2024✓ Auto-enroll
Estimate from the plan's Form 5500 filing · How we grade
$6,324Employer $ per active participant
$10,157Employee $ saved per active participant
0.06%Direct admin cost, % of plan assets
$2.3BNet plan assets, end of year
$245,094Average balance per account
Score breakdown
- Employer generosity39.6 / 5079th percentile for employer $ per participant
- Low cost18.1 / 2572th percentile for low admin cost vs. same-size plans
- Employee saving12.2 / 1581th percentile for employee $ per participant
- Plan features10 / 10Auto-enrollment, Default investment
- Red-flag deductions-13 pts2 issues reported on the filing
Total score67 / 100 · Grade B
This plan vs. peers
Peers: Manufacturing plans with 2,500–9,999 active participants (566 plans).
| Measure | Percentile |
|---|---|
| Employer $ per participant | 79th |
| Lower admin cost | 72th |
| Employee saving | 81th |
| Peers that auto-enroll | 70% |
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Red flags from the filing
Late deposits: the filing says some employee contributions were not sent to the plan on time ($4,668 reported). That's money taken from paychecks that sat with the employer longer than the law allows.
Corrective distributions: the plan refunded $307,754 in contributions, which usually means it failed annual nondiscrimination testing.
What to do if you're in this plan
- Clorox put in about $6,324 per active participant, more than the typical peer ($3,452). Contribute at least enough to collect the full match. Skipping it leaves part of your pay on the table.
- The filing shows total dollars, not the match formula. Ask HR for the Summary Plan Description so you know the exact match and vesting schedule.
- Fund expense ratios aren't in the filing. Look them up in your 404(a)(5) fee disclosure and favor low-cost index or target-date funds.
- The plan auto-enrolls employees. Check your default contribution rate. Defaults are often lower than what it takes to get the full match.
- The plan reported late deposits of employee contributions. Compare your pay stubs with your account statements, and contact the plan administrator if money shows up late.
- Changing jobs? You can usually leave the money in the plan, move it to your new employer's plan, or roll it into an IRA. Don't cash out: you'd owe taxes and possibly a 10% penalty.
The raw numbers from the filing
| Employer contributions | $36,820,773 |
| Participant (employee) contributions | $59,134,753 |
| Other contributions (incl. rollovers in) | $4,597,901 |
| Administrative expenses paid from the plan | $1,374,278 |
| Other admin expenses | $1,374,278 |
| Benefits paid out | $299,342,134 |
| Net assets, start / end of year | $2.2B / $2.3B |
| Active participants, start / end of year | 6,123 / 5,521 |
| Participants with account balances | 9,305 |
| Auto-enrollment (feature code 2S) | Yes |
| Auditor | Moss Adams LLP |
| Employer stock held by plan | $67,229,998 |
Largest service providers (Schedule C)
| Vanguard Advisers Inc. | $924,524 reported compensation |
| The Vanguard Group, Inc. | $303,886 reported compensation |
Source: DOL EFAST2 Form 5500 filing, acknowledgment ID 20250725160215NAL0017629538001, received 2025-07-25, EIN 31-0595760, plan #001, plan year 2024-01-01 to 2024-12-31. Verify at efast.dol.gov.