Walmart is the largest retailer to roll back diversity policies. What might it mean for Canadian employees?

Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, is rolling back its diversity, equity and inclusion policies, joining a growing list of major corporations that have done the same after coming under attack by conservative activists. The changes, confirmed by Walmart on Monday, are sweeping and include not renewing a five-year commitment for a racial equity centre set up in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd — nor will the company continue to use race and gender as a litmus test to improve diversity when it offers supplier contracts. Walmart said it didn’t have quotas and will not do so going forward. The changes come soon after an election win by former President Donald Trump, who has criticized inclusion initiatives and surrounded himself with conservatives who hold similar views, including his former adviser Stephen Miller, who leads a group called America First Legal that has challenged corporate diversity policies. Trump named Miller to be the deputy chief of policy in his new administration. A Walmart spokesperson said some of its policy changes have been in progress for a while. For example, it has been moving away from using the term “DEI” — diversity, equity and inclusion — in job titles and...