'DEI' And "ESG" Are Quickly Becoming 'DOA'

Equity - the concept of treating everyone the same, regardless of individual effort or merit - has been officially kicked to the curb. Inclusion and diversity hang by a thread.

Public opposition and adverse court rulings spell trouble for “Diversity, Equity and Exclusion” (DEI) and “Environmental Social and Governance” (ESG) programs in America.

The Manhattan Institute, a conservative think tank, did a recent poll that found a majority of likely voters support banning affirmative action at colleges and ending government funding for DEI programs and mandatory diversity training.

Though the poll involved educational institutions, it clearly reflects wider societal concerns.

The Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), the world's largest human resources association, recently removed the term “equity” from “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion” programs. The SHRM and said it will henceforth use the acronym “I & D” - for “inclusion” and “diversity.” In a statement, SHRM said, "By putting inclusion first, we aim to address the existing flaws in DE&I programs, which have caused societal backlash and increased polarization."

Microsoft last month laid off a DEI team, citing “changing business needs.” Business Insider reported that a leader of the team wrote staffers in an email: “True systems-change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020.”

Reportedly, Zoom, Google and Meta earlier cut DEI programs.

The death of George Floyd in 2020 led many companies, including Microsoft, to publicly commit to enhancing their DEI efforts. SHRM reported that DEI positions skyrocketed by 55%. Some of those DEI hires later complained they were working for white HR executives and encountered resistance. Some left or were laid off.

Social Media Campaigns and Legal Roadblocks

Societal backlash against DEI / ESG includes uproar from workers (largely white men) complaining about reverse discrimination, complaints from women about trans (males) in female spaces, and landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions relating to affirmative action ...