DENVER — Molson Coors, a Colorado-based beer company, has become the latest to scale back its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. In a letter sent to employees last week, the company outlined “the next steps of their culture journey,” leaving local LGBTQ+ organizations uncertain about what the changes will mean for the future.
With more than 900 employees in Colorado — 848 at the Golden Brewery and 85 at Blue Moon RiNo — Molson Coors is now the seventh major company, joining Ford Motor Co., John Deere, Lowe's and others in the past month to announce a rollback of its DEI efforts and withdraw from third-party rankings of corporate equality.
“When you don't have that third party entity to kind of be able to hold a corporation accountable, it's concerning,” said Nadine Bridges from One Colorado, an LGBTQ+ advocacy organization.
Bridges recalled the rush of companies adopting DEI initiatives in 2020.
“There was so much excitement around diversity, equity, inclusion and justice practices. It is disheartening to know that folks are distancing themselves from that,” she said.
Beginning next year, Molson Coors will no longer set specific supplier diversity goals, and diversity objectives will no longer influence executive bonuses. Compensation will instead be tied solely to business performance.
“If you want your company to grow, then you should be committed to ensuring that diverse populations are part of your corporation,” Bridges said. “Moving away from that does not allow for those opportunities to happen as easily.”
Additionally, the company will change the name of its Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), which focus on business objectives, consumer dynamics and career development, to Business Resource Groups (BRGs).
Molson Coors noted that planning for these changes began in March and emphasized that employee benefits would not be affected, nor would their commitment to a strong workplace culture.
Local and state organizations have historically maintained strong relationships with Molson Coors. The Human Rights Campaign's Equality Index, from which the company is stepping away, graded Molson Coors a perfect score for enforcing workplace protections related to sexual orientation and gender identity.
In a statement, The Center on Colfax, another local LGBTQ+ organization, said, “Molson Coors has been a longtime ally of The Center on Colfax and the LGBTQ+ community. We hope and expect that support to continue.”
Bridges echoed that sentiment, saying One Colorado is waiting to see how the company follows through on its promises.
“I want to see what Coors is going to be committed to, and make sure they still have experts in the room to have those conversations, even if it’s internally rather than with third parties,” she said.
In their letter, Molson Coors reiterated their commitment to inclusivity, writing, “Beer is the best industry on earth because our products unite people. Every day, people from all walks of life, from all races and religions, and from all political persuasions come together at their neighborhood bar over a beer. In the polarized world in which we are living, let’s ensure that we stay united as a team as well.”