Apple shareholders vote to keep DEI practices

Apple shareholders signaled they want the company to keep its DEI programming this week, in a small win for the future of DEI after a tumultuous two years.

What’s new? Shareholders voted during Apple’s Feb. 25 shareholder meeting to reject a National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR) proposal that would have ended the company’s DEI initiatives, according to CNBC. Conservative NCPPR said that DEI poses a financial risk to Apple’s business, while the company called the proposal overreach, HR Brew previously reported.

Despite the vote of confidence in DEI, Apple CEO Tim Cook cautioned shareholders that some aspects of its programming may eventually change.

“Our unique culture enables us to create the best products and services in the world,” Cook said. “As the legal landscape around these issues evolves, we may need to make some changes to comply. We’ll continue to work together to create a culture of belonging and we’ll remain committed to the values that have always made us who we are.”

The Apple vote came just four days after some of the Trump administration’s DEI orders were blocked by a US District Court judge, who cited constitutional concerns, HR Brew previously reported.

The NCPPR lost a similar vote during Costco’s January shareholder meeting, when 98% of shareholders voted to keep the company’s DEI programs intact. Nineteen Republican attorneys general issued a letter after the vote, claiming the company’s DEI practices violate federal law, without specifying, however, which practices are illegal.

Uncertainty ahead. There’s been an almost constant push and pull over DEI initiatives, spurred by misleading rhetoric and loud detractors. As a result, at least 20 companies have changed their DEI practices.

Several other companies, including Berkshire Hathaway, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Coca-Cola, are considering similar anti-DEI shareholder proposals in the coming months that could impact workers and DEI departments.