Overview
- Josh Daws, a Disney software engineer for 12.5 years who was laid off in April, used an X AMA to say DEI peaked in 2020 and has steadily waned as a “vibe shift” took hold.
- Disney’s chief HR officer, Sonia Coleman, replaced the “Diversity & Inclusion” performance metric in early 2025 with a “Talent Strategy” factor tied to business results.
- SEC filings in late 2025 omitted the terms “diversity,” “equity,” and “inclusion,” and reporting says the Reimagine Tomorrow program was wound down, signaling a formal reset.
- Daws said a small and vocal group pushed progressive messaging while many employees, including conservatives and Christians, focused on their work.
- He attributed his layoff partly to being remote and to industry pressures from AI tools, indicating cost cuts that favor on-site teams and automation across media tech.