Employee Groups Stay Resilient as Companies Back Away From DEI

Despite the backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion policies in the US, employee groups built around shared identities or interests have largely held up.

The number of Fortune 50 companies that publicly disclose so-called employee resource groups, or ERGs, was 48 at the end of 2025, up from 46 two years earlier, according to an analysis from consultancy. While these volunteer groups remain popular, many companies are choosing to obscure or downplay their work.

The public visibility of ERGs is “inconsistent and often weak,” with some companies openly “doubling down” on support, while others scale back what they disclose, said , chief executive officer of the ERG Movement.

ERGs, which have been a fixture of corporate America since the 1970s, have been swept up in the political opposition to DEI. The pushback predates Donald Trump’s return to the White House, but since his January inauguration he has intensified the assualt on DEI, issuing executive orders aimed at pressuring companies and other groups diversity policies.

In a released this month, the ERG Leader Summit, which convenes groups to discuss strategy, found that employee groups often feel underappreciated, misunderstood and inadequately resourced.

Interest in ERGs surged after the 2020 murder of George Floyd, prompting calls for companies to compensate ERG leaders for their added responsibilities. Progress has been limited, according to , with 17% of ERG professionals it surveyed consistently factoring ERG work into performance reviews and 11% offering financial recognition.

To see how complex the moment is for ERGs, consider Xerox Holdings Corp.

Best known for its copiers and printers, Xerox has a long history of backing ERGs and is widely credited as the first US company to set up voluntary, employee-led groups to promote a more inclusive culture. Like many other businesses, the company, a major federal contractor, has shifted its focus on some DEI-related initiatives such as changing the name of its programs.

From Tony Fagelman’s perspective, some companies are moving some of the inclusion, diversity and belonging responsibility onto ERGs.

Fagelman, who helps oversee bulk-printing operations at Xerox and leads a global group for workers who live with or care for people with disabilities, said he spent 18 months creating a video-training module on unconscious bias toward disabilities that was designed to sit alongside other mandatory HR modules. He said it was canceled in February.

Fagelman said the outcome was “hard to swallow,” though he continues to head his ERG. A spokesperson for Xerox said the company has a long history of “fostering connection and belonging,” and remains committed to backing employees and the communities they build.

Managers of ERGs like Fagelman typically aren’t paid. Most groups operate on annual budgets of less than $15,000, according to the ERG Leader Summit. And they rely entirely on volunteers 鈥� a setup that can lead to fatigue and resentment, said Owens of the ERG Movement.

“ERG leader burnout may have been trending high before, but with everything that’s happening now, folks are really feeling it,” Owens said.

For Fagelman, he questions whether ERGs are being leaned on to drive workplace change by taking on some employee-wellbeing duties.

“The corporates have got to recognize that this is volunteer-led,” he said. “We need to support our ERGs, and not put lots and lots of pressure on them by giving them stuff that should be corporate-led.”

Related: