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My company disbanded its DEI committee, and I’m deeply concerned that this decision may undermine our organization’s ability to meaningfully address and dismantle systemic workplace inequalities.
Elaine Varelas provides insights on the troubling trend of organizations eliminating their DEI committees and its impact.
Q. My company is one of those who has recently axed their DEI committee. I’m so worried about the negative effects of dismantling the DEI committee. as it could hinder efforts to address systemic inequalities within our organization. And already our business is suffering as customers have boycotted us.
A. It’s unfortunate that challenges to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives have impacted academia, business, government, etc. There have been both supportive measures and pushback. This decision reflects a troubling trend, where DEI initiatives are being scaled back or eliminated entirely. Many organizations incorporated DEI initiatives as something that would benefit their organization and their community. It’s also unfortunate that this is something that should not have needed to be regulated to be encouraged.
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If your customers are boycotting you, this is a great opportunity to get feedback from them to take to your leadership about the financial impact that this is having on your business. The reality is that consumers do highly value companies who prioritize diversity. Your organization may have axed the committee, but have they kept any level of DEI commitment in their hiring practices?
Is your company’s Human Resources department committed to diversity by inclusive job advertisements for open positions, networking with the right communities, and encouraging referrals from current employees that add diversity to their organization and ensuring diverse representation in terms of promotion and senior leadership? Recognizing that diversity can be race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, etc., the statement needs to be as broad as possible to HR and leadership. Numerous academic studies and business publications have found the strategic benefits of maintaining a diverse employee base. If your company is not willing to look at the business reasons for diversity, I anticipate you will not be happy staying at this organization as systemic inequalities will become more powerful the closer they get to you and ultimately, they will.
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I encourage you to advocate for change from within and build support from colleagues who support a more inclusive, diverse, and equitable workplace. Ultimately your decision on whether to stay in an environment that you philosophically don’t believe in will be your choice.
Be civil. Be kind.
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