Nearly three-fourths of survey respondents believe President Donald Trump’s rhetoric and policies have influenced their company’s DEI approach, and 7 in 10 fear that if high-profile companies cut back, others will follow. Despite this uncertainty, employees overwhelmingly support workplace DEI initiatives and see them as essential to morale, retention and company culture. Among the other key findings:

Eighty-four percent of employees want DEI efforts to expand.
Only 5% believe DEI should be scaled back.
Seven in 10 fear that corporate DEI rollbacks will trigger industry wide cutbacks.
Sixty-five percent say reducing DEI efforts will significantly harm employee retention, and the same percentage believes workplace morale will suffer.

“Companies must recognize that pulling back on DEI is a huge mistake and could cost them not just in losing progress but also in retaining and attracting top talent,” Escalera said. “Instead, now is the time for companies to double down on these initiatives and show that they are not performative but are the foundation of the company’s values.”

Instant Insights /

84% of employees want DEI expanded, 5% want reduction, study finds

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