Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson is slamming the brakes on their DEI initiatives and programs they've supported for years
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson is slamming the brakes on their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies and programs they've supported for years.
While the company says their guiding principle is "United We Ride," they took to social media platform "X" to post a statement earlier this week announcing the new changes.
After an internal stakeholder review, Harley-Davidson confirmed they have not operated a DEI function since April of this year.
The company added that there are no hiring quotas, and there are no longer "supplier diversity spend goals" which are created to spread the company's spending to businesses operated by people of diverse backgrounds.
The statement continued to say they will review all sponsorships and organizations Harley-Davidson is affiliated with, including ending their relationship with the Human Rights Campaign, an LGBTQ+ advocacy group.
Additionally, the company will strike any "socially motivated content" from employee training materials.
But this is a vast difference from just two years ago, where according to the Inclusive Stakeholder Management Report, DEI was a company priority, with "a main objective of developing an inclusive and diverse organization at all levels and in all areas."
The report showed that in 2022, employees participated in several DEI programs, including multiple resource groups designed to support women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community -- groups that now will exclusively focus on professional development and networking.
In their statement, Harley-Davidson said they "remain committed to listening to all members of our community."
But another statement from the HRC obtained by CBS 58 said, "decisions to cut DEI initiatives send a clear signal to employees that their employers simply don't care about equality in the workplace."
CBS 58 reached out multiple times to Harley-Davidson to try and get answers directly, but did not hear back before deadline.