Trump administration orders federal DEI employees be placed on leave. What happens next?
President Donald Trump's administration ordered executive branch agencies to close all “diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility” offices by close of business day Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Tuesday evening.
Trump signed executive orders on Monday and Tuesday aimed to end DEI programs within the federal government and rescind many of the Biden administration orders that put some of DEI programs in place to begin with.
"The previous administration has embedded deeply unpopular, inflationary, illegal and radical practices within every agency and office of the Federal Government. The injection of 'diversity, equity, and inclusion' (DEI) into our institutions has corrupted them by replacing hard work, merit and equality with a divisive and dangerous preferential hierarchy," the order reads.
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Charles Ezell, the Office of Personnel Management’s acting director, directed agencies to submit plans by Jan. 31 to permanently fire all the employees of offices “focusing exclusively on DEIA initiatives and programs” that are being placed on this paid administrative leave.
The movement to end DEI practices continued in a memo from Ezell's office that included a template email to federal staff, urging them to report any efforts to "disguise" the diversity programs or face "adverse consequences" for those that don't report them.
In Trump's inaugural speech, he vowed to fight efforts to “socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life” and "forge a society that is colorblind and merit-based."
Many companies have been making changes, scaling back their DEI programs or chucking them altogether such as Walmart, Ford, McDonald's, Meta, Harley-Davidson, Lowe's, Tractor Supply, John Deere and more.
Here's what to know about DEI and what it means.
What is DEI?
DEI ― which stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion ― is a hiring practice designed to create a diverse and equitable workforce by ensuring that all candidates have an equal opportunity, regardless of their background.
DEI has become increasingly political, with conservative politicians using it as a way to brand liberals as having a "woke" agenda.
DEI hiring practices
DEI hiring practices are built on three main principles:
- Diversity: Employing people from various backgrounds, including different genders, races, ages, socioeconomic statuses, sexual orientations, and abilities.
- Equity: Ensuring fair access to opportunities for growth and development without impartiality.
- Inclusion: Creating a welcoming environment where all workers feel valued, accepted, and respected.
The goal is to remove biases in hiring decisions and promote a workplace environment that reflects the diverse society we live in.
What is a DEI hire?
A DEI hire refers to an individual who was hired through a process that emphasizes diversity, equity and inclusion principles.
This process ensures that all candidates, regardless of their background, have an equal opportunity to compete for a job. It aims to create a diverse workforce by actively seeking to include people from different demographics, and ensuring that hiring decisions are fair and free from bias. The goal is to foster an inclusive work environment where all employees can thrive.
The phrase DEI hire has also become an insult of sorts, with some using it to suggest that someone was hired solely based on their demographic characteristics, rather than their qualifications and experience.