Cigna: wokeness reigns supreme

Employees at one of the nation's largest health insurance providers are routinely subjected to far-left critical race theory lessons and asked not to consider white men in hiring decisions, according to leaked documents and chat logs obtained by the Washington Examiner.

Those who work at Cigna told the Washington Examiner that they are expected to undergo sensitivity training they consider racist and discriminatory. Lessons include reviews of concepts such as " white privilege", "gender privilege", and something called "religious privilege", which is described as "a set of advantages that benefits believers of a certain religion but not people who practice other religions or no religions at all".

Employees say they are pressured to comply with "inclusive language" outlines that suggest replacing terms like "Brown Bag Lunch" with "lunch-and-learn" or "grab n' go".

"Our inclusive culture at Cigna means that we're working hard to ensure everyone feels respected, welcome, and like they belong", wrote Susan Stith, the Cigna Foundation's vice president for diversity, equity, inclusion, and corporate responsibility, in an internal memo. "This extends to the words we use, including understanding when certain terms might be perceived as negative or hurtful, and being intentional about choosing positive alternatives".

The lessons learned from the sensitivity training seminars, some employees allege, have even extended to the hiring process.

Thousands of companies openly consider diversity when giving promotions or hiring new talent, but Cigna's practices go a step further, one employee alleges.

"Given the hiring practices they have in place where white, male candidates are blocked, regardless of qualifications, I have to say, 'Yes, there's obvious discrimination at this company'", one employee told the Washington Examiner.

Another time, an employee suggested a candidate with years of industry experience. That employee was informed by the hiring manager that the candidate, a white man, could not be interviewed because he didn't meet the diversity criteria.

Some employees at Cigna say the internal policy of explicit quotas creates a demoralizing effect. In departments focused on tech or data, meeting diversity requirements often means positions are left open for inordinate periods of time.

"I can't fill these jobs", said one individual who described himself as a largely happy employee.

Following the death of George Floyd last May, the company began holding mandatory town halls, which one employee described as a "white giant guilt" event.

"I had employees of mine bombing me with messages, telling me, 'This is disgusting and wrong'", the individual said.

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Cigna: wokeness reigns supreme

Employees receive serious training in newspeak