Wells Fargo Has Quietly Removed Its DEI Page And Reports
Wells Fargo has quietly changed its public-facing DEI language, removing all diversity language, according to HR Brew. The outlet compared the financial services company’s current website with an earlier version recovered from an internet archive.
The program is now framed as “inclusion and accessibility,” a rebrand that mirrors a wider corporate trend of softening or rephrasing diversity commitments amid political and legal backlash.
Wells Fargo quietly deleting DEI from its website
In February, Wells Fargo announced that it would no longer need hiring managers to consider a diverse slate of candidates for upper-level positions, but that seemed to be the only apparent change to its DEI initiatives, as reported by Bloomberg.
The company has removed its long history of diversity and inclusion, which honored its work with the first national organization for lesbians, its support for Japanese-Americans held in US concentration camps, and its Spanish-language support, which dates back to the 1800s, from its website.
Its DEI landing page, subpages, and related content have also vanished from its website. In the past, Wells Fargo openly showcased its annual DEI report, racial equity assessment, and pay equity analysis, all of which are no longer visible online.
Wells Fargo & DEI
Despite the public rollback, Ebony Thomas, Wells Fargo’s Head of DEI, continues to lead internal initiatives, according to her LinkedIn profile. The company also appears to have publicly maintained aspects of DEI that may be less risky to some legal experts, including recruiting veterans and military spouses, supporting workers with disabilities, and its Neurodiversity Program, which was established in 2020.
In 2022, the New York Times reported that Wells Fargo received backlash for a performative diversity hiring policy that led to fake interviews. CEO, Charles Scharf also received criticism in 2020 for saying the Black talent pool is limited.
More recently, dozens of activists protested at Wells Fargo offices in San Francisco and New Yor, citing the bank’s fossil fuel ties, DEI rollbacks, and support for Israel’s military, Bloomberg reports. About eight people were arrested for trespassing at the San Francisco headquarters.
Image: Wolterke
