Amazon is now the latest mega-company to roll back its diversity, equity and inclusivity (DEI) programs.
In December, a senior Amazon HR executive sent a memo to employees saying the company was “winding down outdated materials and programs,” in a process that was due to be completed at the end of that month.
“Rather than have individual groups build programs, we are focusing on programs with proven outcomes—and we also aim to foster a more truly inclusive culture,” the HR executive said.
Although the specific programs were not listed in the memo, according to Bloomberg they include DEI programs.
Another memo, obtained by Fox Business, states that Amazon executives have been evaluating the effectiveness of DEI programs for years.
“We worked to unify employee groups together under one umbrella, and build programs that are open to all,” the second memo states.
“Rather than have individual groups build programs, we are focusing on programs with proven outcomes – and we also aim to foster a more truly inclusive culture.”
It’s also reported that Amazon has removed DEI pages from its website, including pages titled “Equity for Black People” and “LGBTQ+ Rights.”
The news comes in the wake of Mark Zuckerberg’s announcement that his company Meta would be making fundamental changes to its culture and programs.
In recent weeks, the Meta CEO has announced a raft of measures designed to build bridges with Donald Trump and recognise the changed reality of America after his landslide election victory. These measures include shuttering Meta’s DEI programs, appointing Dana White to the board of the company and getting rid of the company’s army of tens of thousands of fact-checkers.
Instead of fact-checkers, Meta will not employ a community-note system like that implemented by Elon Musk after his takeover of Twitter.