As the United States enters a new presidential administration, many companies are on the defensive: Meta was the most recent to announce it is scaling back diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives to better align with the messaging of the new Washington. But others—including Costco—are holding steadfast to their workplace inclusion programs. In this moment, companies have the opportunity to demonstrate whether their commitment to DEI initiatives was purely performative, doomed to die, as some cynics posited—or whether they are willing to stand by their values and prioritize their employees in the long term.

The pendulum swing away from DEI is short-sighted. An inclusive company provides tangible benefits to culture, productivity, and innovation. These companies have a competitive edge and will only pull further ahead if other organizations bow to the anti-DEI headwinds.