Conservative groups have denounced the programmes and threatened to sue companies over them.
Facebook owner Meta Platforms and Amazon are winding down diversity programmes ahead of Republican Donald Trump’s return to the United States presidency, amid growing conservative opposition to such initiatives.
Some of the US’s biggest businesses have been scaling back their diversity initiatives, years after pushing for more inclusive policies in the wake of protests that followed the police killings of George Floyd and other Black Americans in 2020.
Meta is ending its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes, including those for hiring, training and picking suppliers, it said in an internal memo to employees on Friday – the latest in a series of actions cheered by conservatives.
In less than two weeks, Meta has scrapped its US fact-checking programme, elevated prominent Republican Joel Kaplan to be its chief global affairs officer and elected Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and close friend of Trump, to its board.
Amazon, in a December memo to employees seen by Reuters on Friday, said it was “winding down outdated programs and materials” related to representation and inclusion, aiming to complete the process by the end of 2024.
‘Signaling a shift’
Conservative groups have denounced the programmes and threatened to sue companies over them, emboldened by a US Supreme Court ruling in 2023 that struck down affirmative action in university admissions decisions.
Just this week, Elon Musk and other Trump allies blamed DEI programmes for hindering the response to raging wildfires in Los Angeles, without evidence.
“The legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the United States is changing,” Janelle Gale, vice president of human resources at Meta, said in the memo, which was seen by Reuters and originally reported by Axios.
Gale cited recent Supreme Court decisions “signaling a shift” in how US courts will approach DEI programmes going forward.
“The term ‘DEI’ has also become charged, in part because it is understood by some as a practice that suggests preferential treatment of some groups over others,” she wrote.
In practice, this means Meta will no longer have a team focused on diversity and inclusion, and the company said it will instead “focus on how to apply fair and consistent practices that mitigate bias for all, no matter your background.”
The company will also end its “diverse slate approach” to hiring, a strategy that incorporates candidates from a diverse pool to be considered for every open position.
One employee comment on Gale’s memo called it “upsetting to read”.
Other companies that have ended DEI programmes recently include McDonald’s, automaker Ford, Walmart and farm equipment maker, John Deere.
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