According to a new special report from the Edelman Trust Barometer, six out of 10 employees refuse to work for organizations that do not take a stand against racial injustice. Additionally, 62% of employees believe that companies are performing poorly or mediocre in addressing racism in the workplace and in their communities.
This indicates that despite efforts by Republicans and officials like Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to discourage "woke" policies, the majority of employees support diversity equity initiatives. The survey also revealed that the percentage of employees who feel that companies are not doing enough to address racism has increased by 8% since last year.
Furthermore, 73% of employees believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives should be adequately funded, and 81% of Hispanic employees agree that employers must ensure diversity across functions and levels to address racism. The report also highlights a divide between executives who believe companies are making progress on inclusion and employees who are less optimistic.
Lisa Osborne Ross, Edelman's U.S. CEO, warns that companies failing to prioritize diversity will eventually become irrelevant. Despite the challenges, 72% of people trust employers to respond appropriately to systemic racism and racial injustice. The survey was conducted online by Edelman between April 4-12 and included a representative sample of 2,000 adults from the general population and an oversample of 500 respondents from each of three racial and ethnic groups (AAPI, Black Americans, and Latinos).