Candi Castleberry, Amazon’s head of human resources, informed employees of the changes last month. In his announcement, he explained that the company
shuts down outdated programs and materials
as part of a comprehensive review involving hundreds of initiatives. The consolidation process is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
Rather, we focus on programs with proven results – and aim to foster a truly more inclusive culture
– wrote Castleberry, who is currently the vice president of Amazon Inclusive eXperiences and Technology.
An Amazon spokesperson did not elaborate on the specific changes, but the company will continue to maintain its “affinity groups,” which were formed to protect the interests of women, black workers, and military veterans, among others.
The changes coincide with trends in the American corporate sphere.
Several large companies, including Walmart and Boeing, have announced that they are scaling back or eliminating some of their diversity initiatives.
Meta Platforms Inc. also confirmed that it is rolling back many of its diversity and inclusion initiatives.
Special sections on “Black Equity” and “LGBTQ+ Rights” were recently removed from Amazon’s “Our Positions” website. The updated page summarizes these topics into a single paragraph on diversity, equity and inclusion. According to the new wording, Amazon is committed to “creating a diverse and inclusive company that helps us create the best selection of products and services for our broad customer base.”
Political pressure against diversity programs may be behind the changes. Some critics accuse these initiatives of discriminating against white employees.
A future US presidential administration is expected to be hostile to such programs
– sums up Bloomberg. Meanwhile, companies are withdrawing from their other ESG commitments, especially in the financial sector:
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Source: www.portfolio.hu
