Factbox: US companies tweak diversity policies as challenges mount

Tractor Supply Co

26/11/2024 10:50

(Adds Boeing and Walmart)
       Nov 26 (Reuters) - Walmart  WMT.N  became the latest
U.S. company to cut back some diversity, equity, and inclusion
(DEI) programs meant to boost racial and ethnic representation
at workplaces against the backdrop of rising pressure from
conservative groups.
    At least six major U.S. companies, including JPMorgan Chase
 JPM.N , modified their DEI policies last year, according to a
Reuters review of corporate statements.
    Here is a list of companies that have either dropped the DEI
program or made tweaks to some of the policies in 2024:

 Company       Statement
 Starbucks     In March, the coffee giant's shareholders voted
  SBUX.O       for an executive compensation plan that dropped
               a bonus related to DEI goals.
 Tractor       The company in late June said that it would no
 Supply        longer submit data to the Human Rights Campaign
  TSCO.O       (HRC), which advocates for LGBTQ rights.
               Tractor Supply also said it would eliminate DEI
               roles and retire its current DEI goals.
 Deere  DE.N   The company said in July it would not
               participate in or support external social or
               cultural awareness parades, festivals, or
               events. The farm equipment maker also
               reaffirmed that the existence of diversity
               quotas and pronoun identification have never
               been and are not company policy.
 Harley-David  In August, the motorcycle manufacturer said it
 son  HOG.N    would not participate in the HRC survey and had
               ended its DEI initiatives.
 Brown-Forman  The Jack Daniel's maker said it would ensure
  Bfb.N        executive incentives and employee goals are
               tied to business performance, end participation
               in the HRC survey and scrap its quantitative
               workforce and supplier diversity goals.
 Lowe's        The home improvement chain will no longer
  LOW.N        participate in HRC surveys and will combine its
               various business resource groups that represent
               diverse employees into one umbrella
               organization. Lowe's said in August it would
               not sponsor or participate in community events
               such as parades, festivals, or fairs.
 Ford Motor    The automaker said it will change its DEI
  F.N          program, including ending participation in an
               LGBTQ advocacy group's ranking system.
 Molson Coors  The beer maker said it will end participation
 Beverage      in the HRC index, and will tie executive
  TAP.N        incentives to business performance and not
               aspirational representation goals beginning
               next year. 
 Boeing        The planemaker has dismantled its global
  BA.N         diversity, equity and inclusion department
               according to Bloomberg News. Boeing's diversity
               vice president Sara Liang Bowen announced in
               October on LinkedIn that she had left the
               company.
 Walmart       The retail bellwether will no longer consider
  WMT.N        race and gender to boost diversity when
               granting supplier contracts and is scaling back
               racial equity training. Walmart is also
               stopping participation in rankings by HRC and
               also reviewing its support for Pride and other
               events.
 
 (Reporting by Ananya Mariam Rajesh and Savyata Mishra in
Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)
 ((AnanyaMariam.Rajesh@thomsonreuters.com; X: https://twitter.com/AnanyaMariam))