Apple’s board of directors is urging its shareholders to vote against a proposal that would end its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts.
“The proposal is unnecessary as Apple already has a well-established compliance program,” the board wrote. “The proposal also inappropriately attempts to restrict Apple’s ability to manage its own ordinary business operations, people and teams, and business strategies. Apple is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in recruiting, hiring, training, or promoting on any basis protected by law.”
According to the board, the proposal to eliminate DEI “inappropriately seeks to micromanage” Apple.
The proposal from the conservative think tank National Center for Public Policy Research stems from a Supreme Court ruling that questioned the legality of DEI initiatives.
“Sensibly, many major companies have responded by rolling back their DEI commitments and laying off DEI departments,” the proposal’s supporting statement says. “Alphabet and Meta cut DEI staff and DEI-related investments; and Microsoft and Zoom laid off their entire DEI teams.” The statement notes that John Deere, Tractor Supply, Lowe’s, Ford, Harley Davidson, and Jack Daniels have ended DEI programs.
Despite numerous companies ending their DEI goals, Apple has maintained its “Inclusion & Diversity” program. The program includes a “Supplier Diversity Program” that “picks suppliers based on their race and sex,” considers race and sex in the hiring process, employs a “VP of Inclusion & Diversity,” offers employee member groups for “those arbitrarily deemed ‘diverse,'” and provides shareholder money to organizations that promoting DEI, the proposal describes.
Apple’s “Inclusion & Diversity” page asserts the company is “continuing to create a culture of inclusion, increasing representation across teams, and holding ourselves accountable at every level. Because belonging takes all of us.”
“Representation makes a world of difference,” the page adds.
