DEI was discussed often during the 2024 presidential election, but the issue goes well beyond the US. While President Trump and members of his administration have issued anti-DEI directives, DEI programs are officially alive and well in many other countries.
Where in the world? From Spain to Singapore, diversity, equity, and inclusion has been a connecting theme in legislation and with employers during the first half of 2025.
Singapore became the latest country to pass a workplace equality law this year, prohibiting employers from discrimination based on several characteristics including caregiving duties, age, religion, and disability, HR Brew previously reported.
In Japan, where gender equality has historically been an uphill battle, 80% of employers said they will likely continue practicing DEI, and just 3% said they are “reviewing” their DEI policies, according to a Reuters survey. On the other side of the world, most workers in the UK support initiatives like flexible work arrangements and gender pay reporting, which are typically considered DEI tactics.
The Trump administration has tried to influence DEI practices in foreign countries, and issued a directive in March, instructing embassies in the European Union to sever agreements with foreign contractors that practice DEI. Spain was one of several countries to push back against the memo, along with France and Belgium, according to Newsweek.
“We will not take a single step back in promoting equal opportunities. This order has no legal standing or democratic legitimacy,” Jaume Collboni, mayor of Barcelona, declared in a statement.
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Satellite view. Employers in the US are navigating a more uncertain future with DEI, with continued pressure from the federal government and certain activists. More than 60 companies have shifted their DEI practices in the last year, most since Trump returned to office, and organizations are trying to determine the risk of sticking with DEI.
However, recent surveys indicate that workers prefer to work for organizations that prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion, HR Brew reported. Despite what the Trump administration has labeled “DEI-related discrimination” and multiple executive orders attempting to repress DEI programs, experts have said that the nation’s civil rights laws haven’t changed.
“There has been a change in the nature of understanding of the law and appropriate policy,” said Jocelyn Samuels, a former Equal Employment Opportunity Commission commissioner fired by President Trump in January. “The idea that those kinds of initiatives [DEI] which disadvantage no one in the workplace are now considered radical and unacceptable DEI ideology is just deeply disappointing.”
It’s unclear how politics and policies will influence workplace DEI efforts globally over the rest of 2025, but stick close by. HR Brew will keep you informed.