This past week, Ford and Lowe’s became the latest companies to dismantle their policies on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), overhauling employee resource groups and ending sponsorship of Pride events. Both companies are also following in the footsteps of employers including Tractor Supply and John Deere by embracing another major change: They will no longer participate in the Corporate Equality Index, an annual report by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) that evaluates companies based on how inclusive they are of LGBTQ+ employees.
While companies like Ford and Lowe’s have taken a more extreme stance on DEI, these developments are just the latest in a trend of corporations eliminating or altering their DEI programs over the past year, particularly in the aftermath of the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action.
How LGBTQ+ workers view brands
But new data from HRC signals that this surge in anti-DEI activity at corporations is already impacting how queer workers perceive brands and employers. In a survey of almost 2,500 respondents—all of whom identified as LGBTQ+—about 80% said they would boycott a company that had rolled back its DEI policies.
Nearly 20% of respondents said that if they worked at a company that made such a decision, they would quit or look for a new job, while a third of those surveyed said their productivity would take a hit. Many others—more than 72% of respondents—said it would impact their experience at work and make them feel less accepted.
Queer workers are also keeping tabs on which companies have continued to support the LGBTQ+ community, including whether they participate in the Corporate Equality Index. Over 93% of respondents believed that if employers were awarded a perfect score from HRC, it was a good indication of their support for LGBTQ+ workers. In fact, nine out of 10 workers said that a company sponsoring Pride events—a practice that is being eliminated as companies cut back on DEI initiatives—was another positive sign of support.
Support for DEI initiatives
While employees may perceive some corporate DEI efforts as performative—or simply imperfect—this data shows that they still value a company’s commitment to that work, especially amid growing anti-DEI backlash. Other surveys of U.S. workers echo this idea, as well: A poll conducted by the Washington Post and Ipsos earlier this year found that a majority of Americans—six out of 10—still thought those initiatives were “a good thing.”
Many of these companies have eliminated DEI programs in response to demands from conservative employees and consumers (including a concerted campaign by conservative activist Robby Starbuck). But it seems likely that LGBTQ+ employees will also make their voices heard, if their employers continue to backtrack on their DEI commitments.
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