The company's careers page once had a section dedicated to showcasing diversity, equity and inclusion and its diversity initiatives, but that no longer appears on the same live page. UnitedHealth also removed a 2022 blog post containing a conversation with its vice president of DEI.
It's unclear why UnitedHealth took down the pages or whether it represents a shift in rhetoric or an actual change in policy. UnitedHealth spokesman Tyler Mason did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday.
The removal of DEI from UnitedHealth Group’s website coincides with a wave of household name brands and technology companies abandoning DEI policies and programs amid growing pressure from the Trump administration’s executive orders targeting DEI programs.
In February, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi directed the Department of Justice to “investigate, dismantle, and punish” DEI programs it deems unlawful at private companies receiving federal funding. A federal appeals court has temporarily allowed the Trump administration to move forward, although lower courts have ruled the administration's efforts are unlawful.
Several tech companies, including Google and OpenAI, have removed references to DEI from their websites.
In removing the "Diversity, Equity and Inclusion" section from UnitedHealth's website menu, the company added a streamlined page that used weaker language it called a "culture of belonging," which omitted previous mentions of the company's diversity efforts on college campuses, diversity in recruiting and the company's various employee resource groups.