Amazon is ‘terminating’ some DEI programs.

As we approach the end of the year, I’d like to give you another update on the work we’ve been doing on representation and inclusion.

As a large, global company operating in many countries and industries, we serve hundreds of millions of customers from diverse backgrounds and diverse communities around the world. To serve you effectively, we need millions of employees and partners who reflect our customers and communities. We strive to represent those customers and build a culture that is inclusive of everyone.

Over the past few years, we’ve taken a new approach, reviewing hundreds of programs across the company and using science to evaluate effectiveness, impact and ROI. That means identifying programs that you believe should continue. Each of these is designed to address a specific imbalance and terminate when that imbalance is eliminated. At the same time, we have worked to unify employee groups under one umbrella and build programs that are open to all. Rather than having individual groups build programs, we focus on programs with proven results and aim to foster a more truly inclusive culture. You can read more about this from A to Z on the Together at Amazon page.

This approach, moving away from programs isolated from existing processes and integrating work into existing processes to increase durability, is an evolution toward “embedding” and “inclusive birth” rather than “adding on.” ” As part of this evolution, we are reducing outdated programs and materials, with the goal of completing them by the end of 2024. We also know that there are always individuals or teams who continue to do good work. They are not aligned with the company-wide approach and may not always be immediately apparent. But we will keep trying.

We will continue to share ongoing updates and thank you for your hard work in making this progress. We believe this is important work, so we will continue to invest in programs that reflect this audience and help our employees grow, thrive and connect, and we are committed to providing inclusive experiences for our customers, employees and communities around the world.