Amazon and Accenture scale back DE&I efforts amid shifting corporate landscape

Amazon has removed references to “inclusion and diversity” from its latest annual report, signalling a broader shift in corporate America’s stance on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) initiatives. The move follows the organisation’s December 2023 internal memo announcing plans to wind down certain DE&I programmes, aligning with a trend of major businesses reassessing their diversity strategies amid political and legal scrutiny.

In a statement to employees, Amazon executive Candi Castleberry emphasised a shift towards integrating DE&I efforts into existing business processes rather than maintaining standalone initiatives. “Rather than have individual groups build programmes, we are focusing on programmes with proven outcomes – and we also aim to foster a more truly inclusive culture,” she noted. However, the tech giant has not commented on whether it will eliminate or rename DE&I-related employee roles.

Similarly, Accenture has decided to phase out its global diversity and inclusion goals set in 2017. In an internal memo, CEO Julie Sweet outlined plans to sunset career development programmes tailored for specific demographic groups and discontinue the use of DE&I targets as key performance indicators (KPIs) for employee evaluation. The organisation will also pause participation in external diversity benchmarking surveys and reassess partnerships focused on DE&I initiatives.

The rollback of these policies reflects a wider corporate recalibration in response to political pressures. The Trump administration has intensified scrutiny on DE&I programmes, with Attorney-General Pam Bondi recently announcing that the Justice Department will investigate and potentially penalise private sector diversity programmes deemed non-compliant with federal regulations.

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This shift is not limited to Amazon and Accenture. Major tech organisations, including Meta and Google, have also scaled back DE&I initiatives in recent months following legal threats from conservative groups. Disney removed references to its Reimagine Tomorrow DE&I programme from its latest annual report, although it introduced a separate initiative aimed at hiring US military veterans.

Despite the trend, some organisations continue to defend their DE&I commitments. Apple, for instance, rejected a shareholder proposal to reconsider its DE&I policies, with the organisation maintaining its diversity initiatives.

Meanwhile, a coalition of attorneys-general from states including New York, California and Washington have voiced opposition to efforts aimed at dismantling corporate DE&I programmes. In a joint statement, they reaffirmed their commitment to enforcing civil rights laws and protecting employees from discriminatory practices, reported Reuters.