Risky Business: Crafting DEI Disclosures in 2025
In 2025, the question isn’t just what companies say about DEI—it’s if and how they say it. In a landscape shaped by executive orders, legal uncertainty, and diverging stakeholder expectations, the disclosure game has become less about bold statements and more about strategic storytelling – and silence can be just as loud. Labrador breaks down early trends that show how companies are running the gamut in their DEI disclosures.
The key? Know your risk profile like your brand depends on it—because it does.
Based on client discussions, Labrador expects reports to be:
Shorter and sharper. Zero in on materiality.
More qualitative in nature with legal clarity still murky.
Delayed as organizations hit pause to recalibrate tone, terminology and risk tolerance.
Key considerations for framing this year’s disclosures:
Language is strategy: Instead of scrubbing DEI clean, many companies will reframe the narrative to “inclusion and belonging” or reference “diverse populations” or “diversity of perspectives, backgrounds and experience.”
Many will refocus the discussion by highlighting workforce and talent development, culture and employee engagement while linking it all back to long-term value creation.
Context matters: Companies will become more cautious about how they communicate DEI programs, goals, achievements with fewer infographics and more context of how initiatives are anchored within broader talent strategies and good for business.
Don’t scale back on risk discussions: Investors still care about sustainability risks and opportunities and will pay attention to omissions, so don’t skimp out on explaining the big picture.
Several early filers noted reputational risks with DEI and anti-DEI sentiments as well as those pertaining to the executive order itself.
Get examples: Whether you are doubling down, tweaking a term or reimagining your strategy, the report provides specific examples of how companies are adapting.
Bottom Line: In this environment, your disclosure isn’t compliance, it’s your compass. Every word, header, section and omission send a message, so align your tone with your risk profile and steer with your strategy.
Megan Wolf
Director, Practice, HR Policy Association and Center On Executive Compensation
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