Lowe’s to end some diversity policies
Lowe’s Companies is the latest company to scrap some of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programs.
In a company memo, the home improvement giant said it will no longer participate in surveys for Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy group supporting LGBTQ rights, reported MarketWatch, which said Lowe’s decision was reported earlier by Bloomberg. Lowe’s is also combining its various business resource groups that represent diverse employees into a single organization.
In addition, Lowe’s will not sponsor or participate in community events such as parades, festivals, or fairs and might also make additional changes to the policies over time. It will focus more on events geared toward safe and affordable housing, community improvement, disaster relief and skilled-trades education.
“We believe in inclusion, not exclusion,” Lowe’s said in the memo, according to the MarketWatch report. “This simply means we ensure that everyone is included and considered fairly based on merit and results and that no one is excluded based on race, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability or any other characteristic. Our hiring is not and has never been based on numbers or targets.”
In a June 2023 decision, the Supreme Court banned affirmative action in higher education admission decisions. The ruling trigged groups and politicians opposed to diversity policies in the corporate sector to organize and speak up. In its memo, Lowe’s said that like other companies, it began reviewing its diversity and inclusion programs after the Supreme Court banned affirmative action in higher education, the report said.
In June, Tractor Supply Company announced a series of changes to its environmental, social and governance initiatives that included the elimination of diversity, equity and inclusion goals and the end of support for Pride events. In other changes, the company will no longer submit data to the Human Rights Campaign, and it withdrew its carbon emission goals.
Earlier this month, Harley Davidson Co. scrapped diversity and other progressive initiatives at the company, including its relationship with the Human Rights Campaign.
Based in Mooresville, N.C., Lowe’s operates over 1,700 home improvement stores and employs approximately 300,000 associates. It reported fiscal year 2023 sales of more than $86 billion.
