The push-back against inclusive workplace practices is getting bigger by the day.
What happened: Walmart announced it was backtracking on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), including ending priority access for women- and minority-owned suppliers, reviewing its support for Pride, curbing racial equity commitments, and no longer using the term DEI.
- Conservative anti-DEI crusader Robby Starbuck has claimed responsibility for forcing the move, though Walmart said the changes had been in the works for months.
- The X factor behind it was a 2023 Supreme Court ruling against affirmative action in college admissions, which set up a legal precedent for challenging DEI initiatives.
Why it matters: Several major U.S. companies have crawled back their DEI plans this year, but Wally World is the biggest yet; its decision could even spur more companies to follow. In Canada, it’s unclear what effects, if any, this will have on Canadian operations.
- Walmart Canada has an active job posting for an associate manager of DEI, a role that will “implement, monitor, and manage programs” under Walmart’s DEI strategy.
Zoom out: The DEI push-back has been generally less intense in Canada than in the U.S. A new report even projected that DEI management roles will be one of the top positions to see a salary bump next year. That said, in the corporate world, trends can change quickly.—QH