Trump Administration Orders All Federal DEI Staff Be Put on Leave

In a move that AP News called the Trump administration’s “first salvo in an aggressive campaign to upend DEI efforts nationwide,” the just-inaugurated president has directed that all federal diversity, equity and inclusion staff be put on paid leave.

According to reports, these workers will eventually be laid off. This announcement follows an executive order that Trump signed on the first day of his second term, which called for “a sweeping dismantling of the federal government’s diversity and inclusion programs, that could touch on everything from anti-bias training to funding for minority farmers and homeowners,” AP News’ Alexandra Olson and Zeke Miller wrote.

In a Jan. 21 memo, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a memo to the heads and acting heads of departments and agencies, providing guidance regarding the DEI order.

For example, agencies were required to send an agency-wide notice to employees no later than 5 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Jan. 22, informing workers of the closure.

Agencies were also directed to send a notification to all employees of DEI offices informing them that they are being placed on paid administrative leave effective immediately as the agency takes steps to close/end all DEIA initiatives, offices and programs. In addition, the order mandates that federal agencies take down all outward facing media of DEI offices, such as websites and social media accounts, for instance.

By Thursday, Jan. 23, agencies are required to report to OPM on all steps taken to implement the memorandum, including:

• A complete list of DEI offices and any employees working in those offices as of Nov. 5, 2024
• A complete list of all DEI-related agency contracts as of Nov. 5, 2024
• Any agency plans to fully comply with the executive order and the OPM memo

Agencies have until 5 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 31, 2025 to submit to OPM:

• A written plan for executing a reduction-in-force action regarding the employees who work in a DEI office. Agencies should coordinate with OPM in preparing these plans
• A list of all contract descriptions or personnel position descriptions that were changed since Nov. 5, 2024 to obscure their connection to DEI programs