If you are involved with an organization that adds to its programs with government funding, overtime you will see when the government changes, the language of the grant changes. All governments have agendas, parts you will like, parts you will not like, but they all have agendas. When asking the government for money, agendas need to be adhered to or no money will result, even though the money does the same thing under any government. One of the first executive actions of the Trump administration was to drop DEI or diversity, education and inclusion from government.

Corporate America followed suit, to lessen the emphasis on DEI. At annual meetings, shareholders vote on a number of issues including appointment of auditor, compensation of senior executives and results of the company. If groups wish to include more questions, all companies have a process of when questions have to be submitted, approved and sent to shareholders to vote on.

In an article by Michael Liedtke of the Associated Press, the National Center for the Public Policy Research submitted a question designed to scrub corporate programs designed to diversify its work force at the Apple annual meeting. The proposal was accepted by the Board, it was included in the questions sent to shareholders before the meeting (most shareholders vote before the meeting) and reported at the AGM. Apple’s shareholders said no to the proposal.

Apple did commit to investing $500 billion in the next 5 years in the US which could create 20,000 jobs. The government can then decide what is more important dropping DEI or are investments and jobs more important to its agenda.

Linking to dividend paying stocks, all companies seek talent and often talent is not always walking through the door, people have to have a reason to apply to the company outside of needing a job. The desire to seek good talent and the desire to adhere to government regulations is a balancing act, fortunately most of the time, agreement between companies and government is common.

There are more questions than answers, till the next time – to raising questions.