Following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, corporations rushed to show solidarity and support of the Black community in the form of substantial investment in DEI. Just three years later, a massive pullback has happened, and a slew of inclusion practitioners have been let go. It even seems that a collective “diversity fatigue” has befallen on a large number of companies, in which the zest for diversity, equity and inclusion work has significantly decreased.
Hue, a workplace culture platform, released a report in 2022 that found 82% of HR professionals they surveyed said their industry does a decent job of carrying out diversity-related initiatives while 84% of workers shared they felt there was “a lack of meaningful progress” for equity work over that past year.
Another 40% of Black workers said they experienced workplace discrimination connected with their race and subsequently don’t feel empowered to speak up about the mistreatment.
“Inequity in corporate environments continue to penalize BIPOC and obstruct their access to health and wealth,” the report said. “Such hardship has worsened with persistent economic threats and a fluctuating employment market. Still, employees are motivated to demand more supportive and inclusive workplaces.”
Hue goes on to suggest that companies should continue to invest time, energy and effort into amplifying DEI even as the disinvestment trend continues. They point out that regular audits of their goals is a great way to build a path toward an equitable workplace.
“Collaborate with those who represent a historically excluded communities to identify specific challenges and solutions.”