Microsoft, CNN among companies trimming DEI initiatives

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One by one, diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives continue to be scaled back by the American corporate world.

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And Microsoft appears to be one of the latest businesses to join the trend.

According to a report, a team leader for the tech company ripped into the program following the recent lay-off of an internal team focused on DEI.

“True systems-change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020,” the leader wrote in an email sent to employees and viewed by Business Insider.

The email also said the decision, effective July 1, was due to “changing business needs” for the company.

However, a Microsoft spokesperson said their commitments to DEI “remain unchanged.”

“Our focus on diversity and inclusion is unwavering and we are holding firm on our expectations, prioritizing accountability, and continuing to focus on this work,” Jeff Jones said in a statement to Business Insider.

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The news comes days after a report revealed that CNN had quietly disbanded its Race and Equality team.

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According to journalist Phil Lewis, the three reporters on the team were reassigned as part of the broadcaster’s “one newsroom” strategy. CNN recently announced 100 layoffs as part of news-gathering restructuring.

A CNN spokesperson, however, rejected the idea that the company is ending DEI initiatives.

“The investment is still 100% there,” the spokesperson said, explaining that the affected reporters will be integrated “fully and completely” throughout all CNN platforms.

But the company confirmed the Race and Equality team no longer exists as part of their business strategy.

“For all intents and purposes, the team is not a team anymore,” the spokesperson said. “They’re assigned to different areas so that (their) perspective and work is brought into all of our types of programming. It’s not a unit in the way it was before, but (Race and Equality) is very much still their focus.”

The DEI withdrawals also hit farm equipment company John Deere.

In a social media update Tuesday, the company said it will no longer sponsor “social or cultural awareness” events following conservative backlash across the country.

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However, the company added that it believes “a diverse workforce enables us to best meet our customers needs and because of that we will continue to track and advance the diversity of our organization.”

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