Federal DEI employees to be placed on paid leave

The Trump administration has directed that all federal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) employees be placed on paid leave by Wednesday evening.

In a Tuesday memo to heads of departments and agencies, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) directed them to place staff on leave and to remove all DEI-related websites and social media accounts by Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Charles Ezell, OPM's acting director, also instructed the heads to send an agency-wide notice of the closure and ask the staff about any known efforts to disguise similar programs.

The move follows President Trump's Monday executive order entitled "Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing."

The move is an apparent effort to repeal President Biden's executive order to remove potential workforce barriers for the outlined demographic in 2021.

Federal agencies and departments must report on all steps taken to comply with what is outlined in the memorandum by Thursday and provide a complete list of DEIA employees as of November 2024.

Heads are also asked to submit a written plan to fulfill Trump's decree by Jan. 31.

"Under my leadership, we will restore fair, equal and impartial justice under the constitutional rule of law, and we are going to bring law and order back to our cities," Trump said during his inaugural speech.

"This week, I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life. We will forge a society that is colorblind and merit-based," he added.

Topics

Trump orders all federal DEI employees placed on paid leave starting Wednesday

The Trump administration is ordering all federal employees in diversity, equity and inclusion roles placed on paid leave by Wednesday evening, according to a new memo from the Office of Personnel ...
NBC News - 3h
Trump sued over 'Schedule F' order targeting federal employees

A federal employee union has sued over an executive order from President Trump creating a new class of federal employee — allowing those working on policy to be swiftly hired and fired like ...
The Hill - 11h
Trump set to dismantle DEI within federal government in first day executive action

Incoming President Donald Trump will issue an executive order that would dismantle all diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the federal government.
ABC News - 1d
Trump’s RTO Plans Could Slash Federal Employee Head Count

The threat of DOGE-led job cuts may get further backing as the president vows to require government staffers to work in person five days a week.
Inc. - 1d
Supreme Court leaves TikTok ban in place

The Supreme Court announces it has declined to stop a ban on TikTok, which is set to go into effect Sunday. NBC’s Laura Jarrett weighs in on the future of the popular app.
NBC News - 4d
I’m a Federal Employee. This Is What We Need Most in the Trump Era.

Practical support matters more than encouragement.
The New York Times - Jan. 12
My Employee Is Too Accommodating

I need her to stop taking on everyone else’s work.
Inc. - Jan. 6
Experience: I paid £55,000 for a beer

When I asked for the receipt, the bartender printed it out and put her hand over her mouth. I’m a cricket journalist from Sydney, and in 2019 I was in Manchester to cover the Ashes. After dinner, I ...
The Guardian - Jan. 3
New York Employers Must Now Offer Paid Medical Leave During Pregnancy

All private companies in the state must now grant at least 20 hours of paid leave to employees to attend prenatal medical appointments under a law that went into effect Jan. 1.
Inc. - Jan. 2