Panelists Jennifer Sey and Daniel Cameron discuss how big companies are revisiting DEI and environmental, social and governance programs on “The Bottom Line.”
Amazon is scaling back some of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs, becoming the latest major company to scale back initiatives that critics have called “woke.”
In a message to employees last month, Candi Castleberry, Amazon’s chief human resources officer, announced updates to the company’s representation and inclusion efforts, and said the e-commerce giant would bring some changes after spending the last few years “evaluating”.[ing] their effectiveness.”
In this photo illustration, a shopping cart is visible in front of the Amazon logo. The company focuses on e-commerce, cloud computing, streaming and artificial intelligence. (Photo illustration by Jaque Silva/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images / Getty Images)
“We have worked to unify employee groups under one roof and create programs that are open to all,” reads the memo obtained by FOX Business. “Rather than letting individual groups create programs, we focus on programs with proven results – and we also aim to foster a more truly inclusive culture.”
The release of the memo, first reported by Bloomberg on Friday, followed a story earlier in the day by The Information showing that Amazon had also recently removed sections titled Black Equity and LGBTQ+ Rights from its “Our positions” page on its website. website.
In response, Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel said in a statement: “We update this page from time to time to ensure that it reflects updates we have made to various programs and positions. »
Amazon is the latest in a slew of companies to roll back DEI initiatives over the past year, following fellow retail giant Walmart, as well as Ford, Caterpillar, John Deere and Toyota. However, Amazon has been more subtle in its actions, unlike others like Meta, which announced sweeping changes to its DEI policies earlier Friday.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
