As leading US companies such as Facebook group Meta cut or scale back their diversity programmes, tech giant Apple is resisting shareholder pressure for it to follow suit.
The iPhone pioneer called on its shareholders to vote against the proposal at the upcoming Annual General Meeting at the end of February, saying that it constituted unauthorized interference in the company’s day-to-day business.
Some shareholders justified the motion by arguing that current diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) requirements could lead to discrimination against employees and lawsuits.
They referred to two recent decisions of the US Supreme Court signalling a shift in how courts will approach DEI issues in future.
However, Apple countered that it had well-established procedures in place to minimize any legal risks.
Numerous US companies have in recent months abolished or scaled back their DEI programmes among employees.
The programmes encompass initiatives to ensure that people from different backgrounds, of different genders or with disabilities, for example, have equal opportunities in the workplace.
However, DEI initiatives have long been heavily criticized as being unfairly tilted by the Republicans under President-elect Donald Trump, who is due to take office on January 20.
Tech billionaire and Trump confidant Elon Musk is also a vocal DEI opponent.
Reflecting concerns about a counter-current against promoting DEI, many companies now appear to be reviewing their position.
It was confirmed on Friday that the Facebook group Meta is cutting its diversity programmes following the relaxation of hate speech rules and the planned stop of fact checks in the US.
“We will no longer have a team focused on DEI,” the news website Axios quoted from an internal company memo. Meta has confirmed the reported contents of the memo to CNN.
The move was justified by the changing “legal and political landscape” in the US, it said.
The term DEI had also become “charged,” the memo said, “in part because it is understood by some as a practice that suggests preferential treatment of some groups over others.”
The company would continue to select applicants with different backgrounds for new appointments. Instead of training programmes for equality and inclusion, other programmes for fair and consistent practices will be developed, Meta said.
According to US media reports, Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Friday. However, Meta has not commented on the meeting.
In addition to Facebook, Meta also includes the photo and video app Instagram as well as WhatsApp and the short message service Threads.
