adidas Employees Are Demanding Change in Diversity and Inclusion Practices
“We’re listening. We recognize that we have not done enough, and we are dedicated to doing more.”
Following the global protests and support for the Black Lives Matter movement, employees at adidas have spoken up and are demanding change within the company. These include devoting more time, energy and resources to supporting its Black employees, as well as the Black community as a whole.
Footwear News reports that a group of 13 employees representing over 150 colleagues, formed a coalition to push senior management at the company’s German office to support the Black community both internally and externally. The group delivered a 32-page document with the title “Our State of Emergency” to adidas North America managers, which included four key points: “invest in its black employees; invest in the black community; invest in the fight for racial justice and change for black people; and demonstrate accountability.”
In addition, the group is also asking the brand to reach 31% representation of Black and Latinx employees at every level of the company by December 31, 2021. The group also asked for adidas to respond internally to the commitment request, as well as a “global media announcement” by June 19. Footwear News shared the below statement, as a response from adidas:
“We’re listening. We recognize that we have not done enough, and we are dedicated to doing more. We are close to finalizing our commitments to ensure our people, most importantly our Black employees, are heard, supported and involved in solutions. We are working very closely with our employee resource group Progressive Soles and a coalition of Black leaders, and we are united in making progress. Together we’re establishing quantifiable goals focused on immediate action and long-term impact, internally and externally. We will hold ourselves accountable for change. We firmly believe that together is the only way to move forward.”
The company has also shared that its “online donation platform, DEED, provides the opportunity for 200% matching of employee donations to support organizations that are working on the frontlines of anti-racism and actively working to support our Black communities.” Lastly, all leaders in North America and Germany have attended educational sessions to learn how to better lead and communicate through the current unrest.
According to Footwear News, adidas’ official statement is set to be published sometime within the coming days.
