Lego has removed mentions of “diversity”, “LGBTQ+” and “people of colour” from its latest environmental and social governance report, a shift from the year prior. The move is among the most recent examples of companies quieting their diversity, equity and inclusion programs amid heightened scrutiny.
Lego’s 2024 report, which is the latest ESG report from Lego, does not mention diversity outside of “biodiversity.” Meanwhile, the 2023 report noted that Lego had “made further progress on [its] Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) agenda,” including the increase in women at the director level and above.
“Our ambition is to be a gender-balanced organisation at all levels, including the most senior, and to increase the percentage of females at Director+ levels,” the 2023 report said, noting that “41.5% of Director+ roles were filled by females, slightly below our target for the year.”
Lego cited executive leadership team engagement, the role of HR and a “consistent focus on D&I initiatives that impact women positively in our workplace” as reasons for success in 2023.
Also mentioned in last year’s report were Lego’s employee advocacy groups (EAGs) that center women — along with ones centered around “Age, Asian colleagues, Accessibility, LGBTQIA+, [and] People of Colour.” Additionally, Lego mentioned its “Navigator programme,” which helped “the continued development of qualified women at senior manager level.”
These references were scrubbed as of the latest report. However, gender at the Director+ level is still mentioned. This approach is similar to the one that JPMorgan took, for example: “Diversity,” “equity” and “inclusion” were scrubbed from the bank’s latest annual report, but demographic breakdown by ethnicity, gender and race was still included.
Notably, this metric — about women at the director level and above — exists among other Lego KPIs, such as carbon emissions or lost time injury, but it is the only one labeled “ambition only.”
A webpage touting Lego’s “diverse and inclusive workplace” remains on the company’s site. Lego “is for everyone, and so is our workplace. We aim to create an environment where people from different backgrounds and cultures feel welcome and valued and can succeed and grow together,” the website reads.
Not only does Lego talk about colleague inclusion, but it also highlights benefits such as paid leave for all, disability rights and a focus on well-being.
The company confirmed this approach in a statement sent to HR Dive.
“We are fully committed to our workplace diversity and inclusion initiatives and creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace for all,” a spokesperson said. “We believe that our colleagues’ diverse backgrounds, perspectives, skills, and experiences are our strength and contribute to our ambition to reach children around the world with LEGO play. We work to attract, retain and develop the best talent and have always strived to provide equal opportunities for all our colleagues.”
DEI rollbacks continue to be a topic of discussion in the U.S., but this case of Lego — along with other EU-based companies allegedly facing pressure by American ambassadors — may indicate a rollback wave coming across the Atlantic.
Clarification: This story has been updated to include comment from Lego Group.
