Several months before the US president imposed the 39-percent tariffs on Swiss imports, he had demanded that foreign companies which do business in the United States abandon their inclusion practices. Some of Switzerland’s major companies have complied.
As he had stated numerous times throughout his campaign and after election, the US president doesn’t believe in the notion of diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI for short) in the United States or anywhere else in the world, for that matter.
Therefore, earlier in 2025 he demanded that foreign companies which want to continue doing business in the United States must also adopt this stance – a message that was conveyed to Switzerland’s businesses via the US Embassy in Bern. (Similar letters were sent out by US embassies in other countries as well).
Even though Swiss legislation mandates that employers create an inclusive and equitable working environment for their employees, media reported on August 19th that “several Swiss corporations have bowed to Trump’s pressure”: UBS as well as pharmaceutical giants Roche and Novartis are among companies that have abolished specific targets for the advancement of women and minorities, removing any mention of DEI goals from their websites.
Trump’s heavy-handed approach is, unsurprisingly, sparking criticism from Switzerland’s legislators.
“Swiss companies have to comply with our law, not US regulations, especially since equality targets are enshrined in our law,” said MP Min Li Marti.
Advertisement
What about other Swiss companies?
A recent analysis by Advance and the Competence Center for Diversity, Disability, and Inclusion shows that many Swiss companies (presumably those that don’t export to the US), “continue to anchor diversity, equal opportunity, and inclusion in their HR and business strategies.”
And while private companies have some leeway in this regard, public ones don’t – they must comply with the anti-discrimination law to the letter.
This, of course, includes federal, cantonal, and municipal governments.
Coincidentally, the Federal Office of Personnel (EPA) is currently advertising a job opening for a specialist in diversity management.
“The basis for diversity management in the Federal Administration is the fulfilment of the statutory mandate to create a discrimination-free and inclusive working environment,” EPA explained.
Specifically, the new employee will be responsible for “further developing the Federal Administration’s diversity management for employees, managers, and HR professionals; including areas of action such as gender equality, multilingualism, diverse age groups, the integration of people with disabilities, and multiculturalism.”
