C-Suite leaders double down on DE&I policies despite increased backlash
According to the study, 36% of employers said their commitment to DE&I significantly increased since 2022.
From the Supreme Court’s decision to roll back affirmative action in June 2023, to new state laws that are opposed to DE&I policies, employers face difficult decisions when addressing social issues in the workplace.
A recent study by Littler surveyed more than 300 C-Suite executives across the United States and found that employers remain committed to DE&I policies, despite facing backlash. The study found that 57% of employers have increased their efforts to grow DE&I programs even though 59% say that backlash has increased since the Supreme Court’s decision.
Many C-Suite leaders say their organizations are now more supportive of DE&I efforts since the affirmative action rulings. According to the study, 36% of employers said their commitment to DE&I significantly increased since 2022.
Of the 6% of organizations that decreased their commitment to DE&I programs, the study found that 50% say it was due to concerns about legal liability and litigation — including reverse discrimination lawsuits. Only 28% of organizations cited the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decisions as the reason for the decrease.
Even if it has not changed their level of commitment, organizations are still taking note of increased backlash. The study found that nearly 60% of organizations agree that backlash toward corporate diversity programs or initiatives has increased since the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision in June 2023.
Related: Survey: Are DEI practices an effective tool or diversity washing?
The study suggests that the ongoing commitment to DE&I policies, despite backlash, might reflect changing employee relations and talent strategies.
“Demonstrating that DE&I is part of their core values, many organizations are taking the prudent step of auditing and assessing their current initiatives, rather than eliminating them amid the challenges in today’s political and legal environment,” said Jeanine Conley Daves, Littler Shareholder and member of the firm’s Inclusion, Equity and Diversity Consulting Practice.