Haleon has decided to eliminate diversity targets from its executive bonus program, indicating a trend among UK companies to step back from diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. The company has specified that its chief executive and chief financial officer will no longer be required to meet gender representation goals in order to receive maximum pay through the share scheme that forms a significant part of executive compensation.

In the previous year, Brian McNamara, Haleon's chief executive, earned £6m in share payouts, totaling a £9m pay package for the year. The 2022-2024 share plan had set targets for women to hold at least 44.5% of leadership positions, which the company successfully achieved. However, as a precaution to ensure compliance with local regulations, Haleon has removed the gender diversity target for the upcoming year. This shift is partly in response to concerns from the US government regarding corporate diversity initiatives led by Donald Trump.

Similarly, GSK, with the US government as a major client, has also relaxed diversity targets in its executive bonus program and is reviewing its diversity activities to ensure legal compliance across different countries. The pushback against diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives by the US administration has also had an impact in the UK, with a survey of 500 City executives indicating that a significant portion of them believe DEI efforts have gone too far. Job data from Adzuna shows a decline in hiring for DEI positions by a third compared to the previous year.

Despite these changes, a representative from Haleon emphasized the company's ongoing commitment to fostering an inclusive environment that reflects the diversity of its consumers and communities.