BT has announced plans to remove the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) targets from its managerial bonus scheme. This change, effective in April, was reported in a recent article sourced from The Telegraph. The company’s move aims to replace the DEI targets with a focus on measuring employee engagement.
Previously, DEI targets accounted for 10% of the annual bonuses of BT’s 37,400 managers. These targets included representation goals for women, disabled individuals, and ethnic minorities. They also measured the engagement level of these underrepresented groups within the company.
A spokesperson for BT expressed, “We remain committed to our inclusion and representation targets and are making good progress towards them. Inclusion will remain part of our senior management bonus calculations and we have received strong support from our shareholders on the proposals to amend our group scorecard.”
CEO Allison Kirkby recently addressed employees. She noted, “It’s been hard lately to see companies and governments stepping back from their commitment to inclusion, equity and diversity. For many of you watching this unfold, I imagine it feels worrying and upsetting. It sends the message that these things are optional, temporary or not worth prioritising. I want to be absolutely clear: that’s not what we believe at BT.”
The decision aligns with a broader trend across industries where companies, including tech giants like Meta and Amazon, and big names such as Walmart, McDonald’s, Ford Motors, and Target, are reevaluating DEI initiatives. The trend follows a recent Executive Order by President Trump that terminated DEI initiatives in federal contracting.
