Amazon Joins a Growing List of Companies Cutting Diversity Measures by Halting DEI Programs

Amazon is the most recent company to halt several of its DEI initiatives, joining an increasing number of businesses that are reassessing their efforts in light of increased regulatory and public scrutiny.

Amazon vice president of inclusive experiences Candi Castleberry said the business was “winding down outdated programs and materials” as part of a larger evaluation of its initiatives in an internal memo dated December 16th that CNBC was able to get.

According to Castleberry, Amazon is focusing on initiatives with “proven outcomes” rather than group-driven initiatives in order to create a culture that is truly inclusive.

“We are concentrating on programs with demonstrated results rather than having individual groups create programs,” she added.

Although the corporation has not revealed which initiatives are being phased out, it has set goals to increase the number of Black leaders and continues to run a number of employee resource groups.

The DEI efforts of other digital behemoths, including as Meta, have also stalled, abandoning strategies like inclusion training and equity-focused hiring. Similarly, in reaction to the conservative opposition and the 2023 Supreme Court decision opposing affirmative action, corporations including as Ford, Walmart, and McDonald’s have modified their DEI initiatives.

Amazon has also simplified its approach by combining parts on diversity and inclusion into a single paragraph on its “Our Positions” page. According to Amazon spokesperson Kelly Nantel, these changes guarantee that the company’s public image is in line with changing policies and initiatives.

In his memo, Castleberry stressed the value of incorporating inclusion into Amazon’s fundamental operations as opposed to continuing to run distinct, “bolted-on” initiatives.