Apple investors can vote to scrap Apple’s DEI policies

In a significant corporate governance moment, Apple investors are gearing up for an upcoming vote at the company’s annual shareholder meeting on February 25, 2025, where they will have the chance to influence the tech giant’s stance on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies. This vote is prompted by a shareholder proposal from the conservative think tank National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR).
The NCPPR has proposed that Apple consider abolishing its “Inclusion & Diversity program, policies, department, and goals,” arguing that these initiatives expose the company to “litigation, reputational, and financial risks.” This proposal reflects a broader cultural and political backlash against DEI programs, especially in light of recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions, like those affecting affirmative action in university admissions, which have invigorated discussions around these corporate practices.
Apple’s board is recommending shareholders vote against the proposal.
The debate surrounding DEI in Apple, and by extension in many corporations, is multifaceted:
Critics suggest that DEI policies might inadvertently lead to reverse discrimination, where hiring and promotion practices could be perceived as favoring certain groups over others based on race, gender, or other identity markers. They also express concerns over potential legal challenges, citing the evolving legal landscape around affirmative action and workplace diversity.
This vote at Apple isn’t occurring in isolation. Other major companies, like Google, Meta, McDonald’s, Target, Amazon, Ford, John Deere, Walmart, and others have either scaled back or entirely dismantled their DEI programs, reflecting a broader industry shift or reconsideration of these initiatives in the current political climate.
The outcome of this vote could set a precedent for how companies navigate DEI in the future. An approval to scrap Apple’s DEI policies could spur similar movements within even more corporations, potentially reshaping corporate America’s approach to DEI. On the other hand, a rejection might reinforce the commitment of companies to these programs, despite the legal and political pressures.
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MacDailyNews Take: Again:
Making hiring decisions based on skin color is, by definition, racist. – MacDailyNews, July 14, 2023
Just as making hiring decisions based on sex is, by definition, sexist.
Getting the absolute best people should remain Apple’s ultimate goal. Forced diversity carries its own set of problems. Would the group be comprised of the best-qualifed people possible or would it be designed to hit pre-defined quotas? Would some employees, consciously or unconsciously, consider certain employees, or even themselves, to be tokens meant to fill a quota? That would be a suboptimal result for Apple and everyone involved.
The best and desired outcome is for the quest for diversity to work in Apple’s favor. Truly looking at qualified people from a larger pool would likely result in delivering different viewpoints and new ways of looking at things and tackling problems than a more homogenized workforce would likely be capable of delivering.
Regardless and of course, someday it sure would be nice for everyone to just be able to evaluate a person’s potential, not measuring and tabulating superficial, meaningless things like skin color and gender.
How do we ever get to the point where people “will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character,” when we insist on judging people by the color of their skin? — MacDailyNews, December 31, 2015
See also:
• Apple on the losing side as Supreme Court strikes down affirmative action in college admissions – June 29, 2023
• Several U.S. state attorneys general threaten legal action over Apple, others’ ‘diversity’ policies – July 14, 2023

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