Amid protests, corporate America modifies diversity programs

Amid protests, corporate America modifies diversity programs

Although it did not directly address employment law, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in a case last year contesting affirmative action at Harvard University forced several companies to reevaluate their policies.

The projects were quietly reevaluated as a result of legal pressure and other criticism.

Diversity programs in corporate America are here to stay, but they are changing as a result of litigation and close monitoring.

Lawyers and corporate consultants working on these rules say that companies are attempting to develop inclusive programs without breaking any laws or facing expensive repercussions. This indicates that some are giving up the most legally dubious and perhaps discriminatory methods, including using unconscious bias training that transfers responsibility or setting numerical objectives that may be seen as "quotas."

A lot of organizations take a less polarizing stance.

In the wake of George Floyd's death in 2020, American companies—from Wells Fargo Bank to the footwear brand Nike—started diversity, equity, and inclusion programs as the nation examined racial inequity more closely. However, in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling last year that invalidated affirmative action in college admissions, DEI was compelled to concede due to legal pressure.