Of the more than 60 executives, just over 50 percent said their firms have adjusted terminology, and another 20 percent are considering similar changes, according to a survey by the Conference Board. In many cases, companies drop “fairness” from descriptions because it’s considered the most controversial term, said Andrew Jones, senior research fellow at the Conference Board’s ESG Center and co-author of the study.

Companies are “trying to minimize exposure to scrutiny, to legal challenge, to backlash, to salacious headlines,” Jones said in an interview. They are “shifting their focus away from talking about specific demographic groups, particularly around race.”

Corporate America expanded diversity, equity and inclusion programs in 2020 after the police killing of George Floyd, a black man, sparked calls for increased opportunities for minorities. Conservative groups argued that the hiring targets and training programs discriminated against white workers. Companies like Toyota Motor Corp. and Ford Motor Co. modified DEI initiatives after being attacked.