Trump administration puts federal diversity, equity and inclusion staff on leave

This story originally appeared on NPR.

The Trump administration is moving to put employees in federal diversity, equity and inclusion programs on paid leave by 5 p.m. Wednesday.

The move, which calls for agencies to develop a “reduction-in-force action” against the employees, comes after Trump signed executive orders ending DEI programs in the federal government.

In one of the orders, entitled “Ending Radical and Wasteful Government DEI Programs and Preferencing,” Trump accused former President Joe Biden of encouraging discrimination in “virtually all aspects of the federal government” by promoting diversity programs.

The Biden administration required federal agencies to develop diversity and inclusion hiring and promotion plans and monitor progress.

Agencies have until the deadline to alert employees that they will be placed on leave and take down all materials marketing DEI programs, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management said Tuesday in a memo first reported by CBS News.

Employees must also divulge if they know of any plans to “disguise” DEI programs “by using coded or imprecise language,” according to the memo.

In a suggested email template to be sent to employees, the OPM writes, “These programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination.”

Employees will still receive full pay and benefits while on leave. They will not be expected to carry out their work or come into the office, and their email access will be revoked. The memo states the decision to place them on leave “is not being done for any disciplinary purpose.”

Any paths forward for Biden’s executive order initiating the DEI programs must also be scrapped.

Agencies have until 12 p.m. Eastern on Thursday to report to the Office of Personnel Management how they have complied with the memorandum.

Agencies have until Jan. 31 to submit a plan to the OPM to reduce the workforce for the DEI programs.

Per the executive order, the Justice Department has 120 days to make recommendations to encourage the suspension of DEI programs in the private sector and “educational agencies” receiving federal funds.

Companies like Walmart and Facebook already rolled back their DEI initiatives as the programs came under attack from conservatives.

The orders do not prevent teachers at colleges and universities from advocating for DEI programs.