Apple has requested the shareholders to vote against a proposal to scrap its equity, diversity and inclusion programmes. On the other hand, tech rivals scale back similar schemes before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
The National Center for Public Policy Research wants the iPhone maker to end its DEI efforts as they expose firms to litigation, financial and reputational risks. The proposal will be voted on Feb 25 at Apple’s annual general meeting.
Apple’s board, in a notice to shareholders, has recommended investors vote against the proposal, It added it already has the right compliance procedures to deal with any risks and because the proposal inappropriately attempts to restrict the company’s ability to manage its own ordinary business operations, people and teams, and business strategies.
DEI schemes are sets of measures to make people of all backgrounds, including class, ethnicity, sexuality and gender feel supported in the workplace.
Meta, last week, said it was terminating its DEI programmes immediately.
Janelle Gale, the vice-president of human resources at Meta, in an internal memo said that the legal and policy landscape surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the US is changing.
The company also referenced recent top court decisions and the charged views of DEI that are held by some people.
