Targeting “wokeness” by dismantling DEI across the federal government emerged as a top priority of the Trump administration on the president’s first day back in office. Yet, despite pledges to also root out DEI work in the private sector, it appears the administration’s position isn’t entirely eroding corporate support for DEI programs.
That’s according to a new survey by law firm Littler of nearly 350 C-suite executives. Chief among the findings is that 49% of respondents said they are “not at all” considering new or further rollbacks of DEI as a result of Trump’s executive orders aiming to restrict DEI work. Forty-three percent are considering such moves to a small or modest extent and just 8% to a large extent.
This comes as more than three-quarters of organizations surveyed maintained or increased their commitment to DEI in 2024, Littler found. Just 5% decreased commitment significantly.
Of the organizations that maintained or increased their support for DEI over the last year, 78% said employee expectations influenced that decision to some regard—26% to a large extent. Employee views on DEI appear to be particularly critical for CEOs, 40% of whom said employee expectations played a large role in their ongoing support for DEI.
Jeanine Conley-Daves, a Littler shareholder and one of the report’s lead authors, says HR has a critical role to play in helping leaders understand employee sentiment around issues like DEI.
“Because of the role HR plays in the company, they are best positioned to be the eyes and ears of the company and to ensure that the company is meeting the needs of its employees,” she says.
HR should keep its “finger on the pulse” to gauge what employees think of company culture, how inclusive the environment feels and whether employees have a strong sense of belonging, she suggests. Importantly, HR should examine if and how DEI work is fueling a positive work environment.
Conveying that information throughout the C-suite can help leaders gain a better sense of where DEI work should pivot or be sustained.
“Sometimes leadership is not aware of the role DEI programs/initiatives are playing in establishing a strong company culture and work environment,” she says. “Thus, HR may be required to educate leadership on the role DEI plays in those efforts.”
A cautious approach to an uncertain landscape
Despite continued support for DEI among many organizations, leaders are still concerned.
Fifty-five percent of respondents either somewhat or strongly agreed with the notion that their organizations are “more concerned” today than before Inauguration Day about possible lawsuits and federal action related to their DEI programs.
Read more 2025 DEI coverage.
And although only about one-quarter of respondents scaled back their DEI work in 2024, that marks a big jump from 6% who did so the previous year. Concern about legal liability and litigation was cited as the top motivator for decreasing support for DEI.
“This reflects the intensifying backlash against such efforts,” Littler researchers wrote in the report, including through state legislation, “reverse-discrimination” lawsuits, public criticism from Trump and other figures and the 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling on college affirmative action.
The top targets of those considering scaling back this year include outward-facing communication about DEI, benchmarks and metrics, and employee training. Yet, Littler found that most respondents are being cautious about making any meaningful changes to their DEI programs.
Conley-Daves notes the wave of litigation challenging the administration’s DEI-related orders has many organizations hesitant to move one way or the other.
“Until we see how these actions play out in the courts,” she says, “I believe many companies will continue to take a wait-and-see approach.”
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