Ford Motor Co. has joined the ranks of companies that have pulled back on diversity, equity and inclusion policies while facing pressure from conservative groups.
CEO Jim Farley sent a memo to all employees early Wednesday outlining the changes, including a decision to stop taking part in external culture surveys and an annual survey by the Human Rights Campaign that measures workplace inclusion for LGBTQ+ employees.
“We will continue to put our effort and resources into taking care of our customers, our team, and our communities versus publicly commenting on the many polarizing issues of the day,” the memo said. “There will of course be times when we will speak out on core issues if we believe our voice can make a positive difference.”
Farley wrote that Ford is mindful that employees and customers have a wide range of beliefs “and the external and legal environment related to political and social issues continues to evolve.” The company, he wrote, has been looking at its policies during the past year.
Ford, he wrote, doesn’t use hiring quotas or tie compensation to specific diversity goals, and it remains committed to “fostering a safe and inclusive workplace.”
Robby Starbuck, a conservative political commentator who has gone after companies such as Lowe’s, Tractor Supply and John Deere, wrote in a Wednesday post on X that he was investigating Ford’s “woke” policies.
Starbuck posted Farley’s memo, the contents of which were confirmed by Ford. The company said Wednesday that the memo speaks for itself and declined further comment.
In a statement, the Human Rights Campaign said Dearborn, Michigan-based Ford was cowering to an “internet troll” by abandoning its longtime values and policies.
“Their shortsighted decision will hurt the company’s long-term business success,” the statement said.
Several companies have changed their diversity programs since the U.S. Supreme Court outlawed affirmative action in college admissions or after facing a conservative backlash online.
Source: mbtmag.com
Data management is a key component for teams working to improve the sustainability of their buildings, because the data can point to where they can save time and money, according to the report. But teams might not be collecting the data in the most efficient way.
The root cause of quiet cracking may be workers feeling insecure in their current jobs, the report indicated. This lack of confidence could be the result of a lack of training, which makes workers feel insecure in their role, according to the data. Employees who said they hadn’t received any training in the past year were also 140% more likely to feel insecure about their jobs.
Over my 25 years as a partner at Borderless Executive Search, I’ve observed this linguistic nuance countless times in conversations with candidates. They can be simple yet powerful indicators of how connected, or disconnected you feel from your organisation. And it’s worth reflecting on what it might say about you.
