Today is the Costco shareholder meeting. The Board recommends against studying whether Costco’s race-/gender-/2SLGBTQQIA+-based discrimination programs (“DEI”) are harmful. Here’s their argument for continuing to discriminate, from the annual meeting notice:
And we believe (and member feedback shows) that many of our members like to see themselves reflected in the people in our warehouses with whom they interact.
I’m wondering how much discrimination is permissible based on customer preference in a 21st century American business. Suppose that “many” customers said that Asian cashiers worked faster and more reliably. Could Costco then refuse to hire non-Asians to work as cashiers? Back in the 20th century, companies were told that they couldn’t use the “customer preference” excuse to exclude Black employees. But the Costco Board and its superstar attorneys tell us that the “customer preference” excuse is usable for excluding at least some employees based on race.
Here’s what Grok thinks the employee mix should look like:
ChatGPT seems to have some issues with (1) racism, and (2) counting to four:
(All of ChatGPT’s highly capable and fast-working Costco cashiers appear to identify as white, including in previous answers to prompts.)
Philip, was you surveyed by Costco whether you preffer cashiers look like you?
What did you answer?
Is Costco job hard to get?
Have never been wealthy enough to afford a costco membership, but have spent the GDP of a small country to live in a walkable neighborhood & buy just enough stuff for a few days at a time instead of an SUV full of bulk leftovers.
Could Costco hire an all-Asian staff in order to make customers happy? No!