The boss of Deloitte UK has signalled a split with the firm’s US arm by reaffirming its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) targets. Chief executive Richard Houston emailed staff on Tuesday saying the accounting giant’s UK operations will stay “committed to our diversity goals”, the PA news agency understands. The UK office will continue to report annually on its inclusion progress and to run its diversity networks, he wrote.
It comes after the Financial Times reported that Deloitte’s US staff have been told the firm plans to “sunset” its diversity goals. The diversity, equity and inclusion webpage on the firm’s US site, which called DEI “core to our values”, appears to have been taken down, with the URL redirecting users to the homepage. The move marks the latest demonstration of corporate America returning to more conservative stances following Donald Trump’s election victory.
The likes of Meta, Google, Amazon, Accenture, Bloomberg and McDonald’s have already scrapped DEI initiatives, watered down language in company reports that could be seen as “woke”, or pulled out of industry climate groups. (DEI principles remain) embedded across our core policies, processes, and leadership representation goals, to ensure that all our people understand their role in fostering an inclusive environment and feel safe to speak up.
But at Deloitte UK, Mr Houston insisted that events in the “external landscape do not change our commitment to building an inclusive culture”. In a further indication of a split, the UK site’s DEI page remains live, sharing the message that DEI principles remain “embedded across our core policies, processes, and leadership representation goals, to ensure that all our people understand their role in fostering an inclusive environment and feel safe to speak up”.
Wider questions remain over the extent to which the US shift will affect diversity culture across the Atlantic, especially in the offices of multinationals. Firms operating in the UK must continue to comply with the country’s equality laws. Meanwhile, in a policy direction that contrasts with the US, the Labour Government is planning to bolster DEI protections, including introducing mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting and strengthening employment rights.
