CNN reported on Tuesday that removing diversity, equity and inclusion programs could “undo the progress” of making “workplaces more inclusive and supportive,” potentially leading to lower employee retention and an increase in discrimination lawsuits.
Since President Donald Trump took office in January, he has signed multiple executive orders demanding the elimination of DEI programs and offices in the federal government.
Several major corporations, including the retail giant Walmart, have also announced efforts to scale back and even eliminate DEI programs within their companies.
As both the private and public sectors roll back these initiatives, CNN reported on “how reversing DEI hurts the workplace.”
According to CNN, Nextech chief customer officer and DEI advocate Naomi “Wheeless worries some companies may be reluctant to hire too many non-White people because of how it might be perceived.”
“Subconsciously, hiring decisions could start to sway, promotional decisions could start to sway in such a way that it becomes harder for these groups to get ahead,” she warned.
“We have suffered in silence for so long, then we worked very hard to try to level the playing field,” she added. “We begin to see the fruits of that labor and now the rug is being snatched from under our feet.”
Rafael Fantauzzi, a former DEI chief of a pharmaceutical company, suggested some “underrepresented” communities might leave their jobs altogether because they “don’t feel valued” without DEI initiatives.
“The result is a loss of talent that, in some cases, might be hard to replace,” the CNN report said.
“There is fear and the fear is real,” Fantauzzi said. “I think some of the fear is a lack of understanding. What are the repercussions?”
Shaun Harper, founder of the Race & Equity Center at the University of Southern California, went further and claimed removing DEI programs could open companies up to more lawsuits because policies and trainings on discrimination and harassment would cease.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE
According to CNN, “Harper said the dismantling of DEI offices may lead to more harassment and discrimination lawsuits against companies because the policies and people that hold employees accountable won’t be there. In many cases, DEI offices are charged with training workers on preventing unconscious bias, discrimination, inequities and sexual harassment.”
“Existing inequities are going to widen, they are going to worsen as a result of this,” Harper said.
