Ford Motor Company is the latest company to backtrack on its commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
According to internal communications shared with Ford Global, the automaker has “revisited” its DEI policies and practices over the past year to consider the changing “external and legal environment related to political and social issues” for employees and Posted on X an anti-DEI activist asked on Wednesday. Ford confirmed the letter was genuine and said he had no further comment on the matter.
Ford follows in the footsteps of retailers tractor supplyone of the first large companies to halt DEI efforts because it sever ties Earlier this summer, it partnered with the LGBTQ+ advocacy group Human Rights Campaign and met DEI retirement goals, such as increasing the number of employees of color at the manager level. harley davidsonIts board of directors includes Ford CEO Jim Farley Decide Last week it stopped consulting HRC on its indicators on the treatment of LGBTQ+ employees and confirmed it had no DEI function.
Home Improvement Retailer Lowe’s joined the effort earlier this week, noting that it may also enable additional changes Policy over time.
In their announcements, the companies cited backlash from conservatives or changes in the social and political environment. Tractor Supply and Harley Davidson have also said they hope to attract more rural or conservative-leaning customers.
“I think you’re going to start to see this trend toward companies that are more politically neutral, which is to say, most companies don’t want to do these things in the first place,” said Liz Hoffman, business and finance editor at Semafor. Speaking on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” earlier Wednesday, ahead of the release of Ford’s memo.
Farley said in Wednesday’s memo that the company will not use quotas on minority dealers or suppliers, adding that it does not have hiring quotas.
The automaker will also cease participating in the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index and various other “Best Places to Work” lists.
The Human Rights Campaign rates more than 1,300 companies each year on their corporate equality efforts for LGBTQ+ individuals, including practices such as providing spousal health benefits regardless of gender and conducting unique LGBTQ+ community outreach efforts. Ford has earned perfect scores on the index in previous years.
“Ford Motor Company’s short-sighted decision will have long-term consequences,” Kelly Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, said in a statement. “Having to abandon efforts to ensure a fair, safe and inclusive workplace is bad for business and puts Ford’s employees and data at risk.” Millions of LGBTQ+ aligned consumers are left behind.”
The organization added that it evaluates every Fortune 500 company against the Equality Index regardless of whether the company submits additional information about its priorities, meaning Ford will remain on the list.
“As a global company, we will continue to invest our energy and resources in taking care of our customers, our teams and our communities without commenting publicly on many of today’s polarizing issues,” Ford said in a statement to employees. “If we believe our voices can have a positive impact, then sometimes we will speak out on core issues.”
In the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020, many companies, including automakers like Ford, have increased their commitment to DEI — which Ford also talked about at the time Got to this point.
“We are not interested in superficiality. Now is our moment to lead from the front and fully commit to creating the fair, just and inclusive culture our employees deserve,” the company said in a 2020 statement. letter Reaffirm its DEI commitment. “We cannot turn a blind eye to this and accept some sense of ‘order’ based on oppression.”
However, after the Supreme Court’s decision overturning affirmative action At universities, a growing number of conservative activists are taking to social media to call on companies to stop investing in DEI.
“There’s an old saying: an inch is a mile,” said industrial and organizational psychologist Derek Avery, “and that’s basically what we were saying when the Supreme Court ruled specifically on higher education institutions.” See. “Conservative state attorneys general sent letters to companies warning them they could be sued if they continue to advocate and promote DEI practices within their organizations, which could be interpreted as contrary to the Supreme Court’s ruling, The Supreme Court ruling had no impact on these corporate initiatives, though.
