Less than a year after the Supreme Court ruled against the practice of race-based preferences for college admissions, the landmark decision raises questions on whether corporate diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts should prepare for a similar fate.

Hundreds of companies have begun to reassess workplace diversity initiatives since the high court ruled against affirmative action policies in higher education, for reasons including the threat of novel litigation, emerging critiques of DEI efforts from influential figures in the business world, and significant layoffs within the tech sector. While many companies adopted such policies in the aftermath of the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer in 2020, some of these programs are already retreating, according to employment and labor experts.