Are classic American brands finally beginning to realize how unpopular and unprofitable the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) agenda is? New reports show that “the attrition rate for DEI roles has been about double that of non-DEI jobs” and a plethora of big businesses are rolling back DEI platforms introduced in 2020 after the surge of BLM and diversity support. This comes amid intense backlash from conservatives and online campaigns aimed at highlighting the true inequity of the DEI agenda.
“Zoom, Snap, Meta, Tesla, DoorDash, Lyft, Home Depot, and Wayfair have cut DEI employees at a greater rate than other team members when they conducted layoffs,” a business report from Inc. noted.
At the beginning of July, reports surfaced that Microsoft laid off their entire team devoted to DEI due to “changing business needs” – a clear indication that their consumer base is growing disinterested in such measures. Previously, Microsoft announced it would invest $150 million in its DEI program.
After a massive boycott effort, Tractor Supply Co. announced a complete reversal of their woke policies. They pledged to halt support of Pride events as well as “eliminate DEI roles and retire our current DEI goals while still ensuring a respectful environment.”
“This is a massive victory for sanity and the single biggest boycott win of our lifetime,” Robby Starbuck tweeted after the announcement. “Let stores just be stores again. No politics, no far left social values push, just good products & service. No one is asking for discrimination, just normalcy and to not have your politics shoved down their throat.”
Shortly after Tractor Supply announced its reversal, John Deere, one of their suppliers, was soon to follow. Up to that point, John Deere had been a staunch supporter of all things DEI. A recent annual report even declared that “DEI is the only global behavioral performance metric upon which all salaried employees are evaluated.”
On July 16th, they publicly committed to ensuring the “absence of socially motivated messages” and said they will “no longer participate in or support external social or cultural awareness parades, festivals, or events.” While they did not fully denounce the DEI agenda as Tractor Supply did, they have certainly taken a step in the right direction.
Not only are companies firing DEI employees at record rates, but job postings for those positions are rapidly declining as well. “DEI-related job postings declined by 44% by mid-2023 compared to the same period in 2022,” The New York Post reported. (emphasis added)
On top of that, legislators in 28 states and Congress have introduced at least 85 pieces of anti-DEI legislation since 2023, the Chronicle of Higher Education reports. Thirteen have already been passed into law.
“Corporate America’s retreat from DEI has coincided with increased legal risk and political animosity toward systemic efforts to boost racial equity,” the Washington Post writes. “Mentions of DEI on corporate earnings calls have plunged in the past year.” (emphasis added)
It’s not just big businesses that are facing backlash – it’s charitable organizations as well. After coming under heavy criticism for embracing the DEI agenda, the Sioux Empire United Way in Sioux Falls, SD did not reach their fundraising goal in 2023 for the first time in 28 years. Although we can’t prove this failure was due solely to DEI backlash, it’s a fair assumption given what we now know about the downfall of this agenda in the public eye.
The evidence speaks for itself – it’s time for big businesses and nonprofits alike to ditch the DEI agenda.
