Walmart is one of the most recent companies to back away from its diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, phasing out many programs and removing the words “diversity” and “DEI” from its documents. .
But the move has raised concerns among a group of state attorneys general who are asking Walmart to reconsider the changes.
The letter to Walmart CEO Doug McMillon was signed by top prosecutors from 13 states. They want to know why Walmart is rescinding its diversity policy and how the company plans to protect civil rights in the workplace.
The company acknowledged the change in November, saying it would no longer hold diversity training or prioritizing diverse suppliers, and announced it would permanently remove the words “diversity” and “DEI” from its daily vocabulary. did.
Instead, the company started using the word “belonging” in its communications. It also stopped collecting demographic data on potential suppliers.
In response to the move, 13 Democratic attorneys general wrote in part, “Threats of boycotts, lawsuits, and other negative impacts on Walmart's profits may very well have contributed to its decision to back away from its DEI efforts.'' “But we are concerned that Walmart has failed.” You need to consider the other side: the customers and employees who will be alienated by this departure. ”
NewsNation spoke to Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul about why he wanted to send the letter.
“There could be economic pressure from the other side, which frankly is the majority of the United States,” he said. “Women and minorities buy as well and have purchasing power.”
“Right after the murder of George Floyd, Walmart came forward and said we were committed to the very thing they were now giving up,” he added. “So I question how genuine that effort was.”
NewsNation contacted Walmart about the letter. The company said it “remains committed to building a culture where everyone can succeed.”
Walmart isn't the only company moving away from DEI. Other major companies, including McDonald's, Meta, Ford, and Molson Coors, have similarly suspended DEI initiatives.
Many of the changes followed a Supreme Court ruling last summer that eliminated affirmative action in schools, but the decision has no impact on private companies.
Opinions among workers themselves are divided on this issue.
According to Pew Research data from November, 21% of workers think DEI is a bad idea, up 5 percentage points from a year ago.
“I understand that people have certainly struggled in recent years just to make ends meet paycheck to paycheck. “Some people are trying to convince us that it's because someone else is taking away their chances,” Raul said. Said.
“Frankly, the numbers don't reflect that. The numbers don't reflect that DEI programs and other programs are taking away a significant number of opportunities from other programs,” he said. added.
Meanwhile, 52% of people think DEI in the workplace is a good thing, down 4 percentage points from a year ago.
However, political and public pressure continues to encourage companies to retreat from DEI, and President-elect Trump has publicly opposed such policies.
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