DEI — Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion — is a huge initiative put into place by a plethora of platforms, companies, and institutions to prevent the screening of employers on racial, sexist, gender, and sexual orientation standards. However, there have recently been massive rollbacks of DEI policies in major corporate workplaces, preventing the protection of minorities in professional environments. Why is this happening?
According to Forbes, “The recent rollback of DEI initiatives can be attributed to various factors. Economic uncertainties, political polarization, and societal backlash against perceived ‘wokeness’ have made some companies wary of continuing their investments in DEI.”
The Trump Administration has also made multiple efforts to cut back on DEI initiatives for money-saving purposes. On Feb. 10, multiple executive orders were put out by the Trump administration to eliminate DEI programs and initiatives from the federal government.
According to Ogletree Deakins, these are EO’s 14151 and 14173. EO 14151 seeks to eliminate DEIA performance requirements from employers, contractors, and grantees. EO 14173 terminated measures to promote DEI in the development of federal agencies, claiming that employers “have adopted and actively use dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race and sex-based preferences under the guise of so-called DEI or DEIA programs that violate civil rights laws.”
The efforts described above have encouraged multiple corporations at this time to remove or roll back their DEI statements, policies, and even HR-affiliated employees. According to Time Magazine, these companies include but are not limited to Target, Google, Meta-based Platforms, Amazon, McDonald’s, Walmart, Ford, Disney, Pepsi, Lowe’s, Harley-Davidson, Brown Forman, John Deere, and more.
That’s not to say that all or even most companies are getting rid of protections for DEI. However, this is a scary time for individuals who gain support from this federal agency.
The complete elimination of DEI could have some disastrous effects, including but not limited to discrimination risks, workplace culture shifts, reduced employee brand/talent inquisition, and setbacks in career development for many underrepresented groups. The removal of DEI makes it legal and normal for others to be harassed in the workplace.
Some companies are continuing to stay strong with their DEI statements and have been making it a priority for those statements to stay updated for the psychological benefit of their employees. These companies include Apple, Costco, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan CHASE, Microsoft, and many more.
As Americans, we will continue to have hope that opportunities remain and stay steadfast in their truth: to be equal to all. DEI initiatives rolling back does not mean that workplaces could become dangerous for the average worker, but it does mean we have to be careful about who we trust to hire us in their care. Resources are always available to help those in need, such as guides by universities and teaching centers, MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) offered through universities, Open Access Resources and Library Guides, Associations and Organizations, and many more.