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In late December, Nissan joined the list of companies to walk back some of their DE&I initiatives. But it appears the changes it’s making are minimal.
The latest. On Dec. 18, Jeremie Papin, chairman at Nissan, informed employees that the company would be changing some of its DE&I initiatives, Bloomberg reported. His letter was shared on X by anti-DE&I advocator Robby Starbuck, who claimed responsibility for the changes, including Nissan no longer submitting to workplace indexes “heavily focused on political activism.” Additionally, employee training will focus on priorities including leadership and professional development, and Nissan’s business strategy groups will remain intact.
Beyond that, it’s unclear what, if anything, will change. Nissan’s website still notes that its “Corporate Diversity Initiative aims to improve business results,” and touts the Nissan Foundation, its cultural diversity program. Chandra Vasser, the company’s chief DE&I officer, also appears to still be with the company, in the same position she’s held since 2021.
“Whether with employees, customers, business partners, or the communities we serve, we believe that Nissan is a company for everyone,” a spokesperson for Nissan told HR Brew in a statement. “For nearly four decades, our commitment to respect and inclusion has been rooted in our values, shaped an environment where each of our team members can contribute at work, and ultimately contributed to the success of our business.”
Companies shift gears. Nissan is the latest automaker to change some of its DE&I efforts, joining Toyota and Ford, which made moves in the fall.
In October, Toyota told its roughly 50,000 US employees in an internal memo that it would no longer sponsor LGBTQ+ events or participate in employer inclusion indexes, such as the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) index, Bloomberg reported. The announcement came a week after Starbuck began a campaign against the company.
However, the company still has a diversity advisory board and continues to display its commitment to DE&I on its website.
In August, Ford said that it also would not participate in HRC’s index moving forward and made a slight change to its ERGs, opening them up to all employees, HR Brew previously reported.
“By failing to support women leaders, employees of color, and LGBTQ+ employees, Ford Motor Company is abandoning its financial duty to recruit and keep top talent from across the full talent pool,” Kelley Robinson, HRC president, said in response.
But Ford also appears to be moving ahead with at least some DE&I initiatives, with its website featuring a “DE&I North Star” section and a commitment to “embracing a diverse workforce.” It also still has a team of DE&I professionals across the company.
So while Starbuck has told his followers that he’s defeated DE&I at these automakers, it appears that’s not the whole picture.