According to Employment Rights Minister Justin Madders, UK businesses are expected to continue supporting diversity and inclusion initiatives despite US companies scaling back similar efforts.
Madders stated that British firms have their “own approach” to equality and are unlikely to follow the US trend, where companies like Google, Meta, Amazon, and McDonald’s have rolled back diversity programmes. The shift in the US came after Donald Trump’s election victory and executive orders that eliminated federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.
In contrast, UK firms such as Deloitte and Barclays reaffirmed their commitment to diversity. Apple shareholders also rejected a proposal that aligned with Trump’s stance on workplace DEI initiatives.
Meanwhile, the UK government has introduced an Employment Rights Bill to enhance worker protections, including for pregnant employees and new mothers, while making flexible work the default. However, new hires will face a nine-month probation before gaining unfair dismissal protections, addressing business concerns over “day 1” employment rights.
