Ford Scales Back Diversity Initiatives Amid Anti-DEI Movement

(RTTNews) - Ford Motor (F) announced its decision to scale back on some of its commitments to diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives amidst the growing anti-DEI sentiment in corporate America.

"We are mindful that our employees and customers hold a wide range of beliefs," Ford CEO Jim Farley wrote in an internal email. "The external and legal environment related to political and social issues continues to evolve."

As part of this shift, the automaker will not participate in an annual survey from an LGBTQ advocacy group and will discontinue the use of quotas for minority dealerships and suppliers.

"As a global company, we will continue to put our effort and resources into taking care of our customers, our team, and our communities versus publicly commenting on the many polarizing issues of the day," Ford said. "There will of course be times when we will speak out on core issues if we believe our voice can make a positive difference."

The decision comes as several prominent companies have distanced themselves from DEI initiatives. Retailer Tractor Supply (TSTO) severed ties with the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group, and retired its DEI targets, while Harley Davidson (HOG) decided last week to stop using HRC's metric for treatment of LGBTQ+ employees and confirmed it does not have a DEI function.

The HRC Corporate Equality Index assigns a score to the companies based on factors, such as nondiscrimination policies, spousal and partner benefits, transgender-inclusive benefits, and engagement with the LGBTQ+ community, according to Axios.

A score of 100 on the index indicates the company's strong commitment to LGBTQ+ causes. In 2023-24, around 600 companies, including Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Bank of America (BAC), Ford (F), Disney (DIS), Google, Microsoft (MSFT), Toyota (TM), and Walmart (WMT), received perfect scores.

"Ford Motor Company's shortsighted decisions will have long-term consequences," HRC President Kelley Robinson said to CNBC. "Hastily abandoning efforts that ensure fair, safe, and inclusive work environments is bad for business and leaves Ford's employees and millions of LGBTQ+-allied consumers behind."