Donald Trump’s administration has ordered that all federal civil servants in the diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility sectors be placed on “paid administrative leave” – that is, they will be suspended, but will continue to receive a salary, for now.
In the United States, there was a wide range of programs and policies aimed at hiring people who, historically, would have been underrepresented or had faced discrimination. Actions also included promotion policies, on-the-job training, pay equity audits, and mentoring and internship programs, for example.
The set of these initiatives was known under the acronym “DEI” (Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, in the English acronym) or DEIA (Diversity, Equality, Inclusion and Accessibility, in the English acronym).
On Monday (20), the day of the inauguration, Trump signed an executive order banning DEI programs. He also ended the use of these policies in federal hiring and contracts.
Critics of DEI programs claim that these actions and programs attempt to address racial discrimination by leaving other groups at a disadvantage, particularly white Americans.
According to the American government, “the Biden administration has imposed illegal and immoral discrimination programs, known as ‘diversity, equity and inclusion’ (DEI)”.
Furthermore, according to the White House, these practices “undermine our national unity by denying, discrediting and undermining traditional American values of hard work, excellence and individual achievement in favor of an identity-based, illegal, corrosive and pernicious.”
Experts and other people who support the measures point out, in turn, that the practice has been politicized and is poorly understood.
Some US federal departments have entire offices dedicated to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, such as the Department of Defense and the Department of Health and Human Services.
There are also programs across departments that include budgets for things like minority business development, as well as recruiting efforts and diversity training.
Suspended employees and end of DEI programs
On Tuesday, the U.S. government’s Office of Personnel Management issued a memo instructing federal agencies to notify DEI program employees by 7 p.m. Brasília time on Wednesday (22) that they were being placed on “administrative leave immediately.”
The memo, obtained firsthand by CBS News and confirmed by Karoline LeavittWhite House press secretary, also highlights that the office will take “measures to close/terminate all DEIA initiatives, offices and programs”.
Another guidance is that agencies remove DEI offices’ websites and social media accounts and cancel any training related to these programs.
The White House also released a text explaining points of order which ends the use of DEI in federal contracts and “directs federal agencies to relentlessly combat private sector discrimination.”
The order directs the administration’s Office of Management and Budget “to streamline the federal contracting process to increase speed and efficiency, reduce costs, and require federal contractors and subcontractors to comply with our civil rights laws.”
Additionally, it “prevents the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs from pressuring contractors to balance their workforce based on race, sex, gender identity, sexual preference, or religion.”
Joe Biden had expanded DEI protections by signing a series of executive orders that expand them to include a broader group of Americans, from pregnant women and military spouses to rural communities and caregivers.
Employees can “snitch” on diversity and inclusion programs
Another point of the memo sent by the American government’s Office of Personnel Management is that agencies send a list of all DEI offices and employees related to them by 2 pm, Brasília time, this Thursday (23).
Within the same deadline, they must submit a list of all contracts related to DEI practices.
In addition, by January 31, they must submit a written workforce reduction plan for employees in the DEI sectors.
Finally, a letter addressed to employees of federal agencies also states that there were efforts by some members of the government to “camouflage” diversity and inclusion programs using “coded or imprecise language”.
Thus, the Trump administration has encouraged that if employees learn of changes to contract descriptions or job titles after November 5th – Election Day in the US – to try to misrepresent “the connection between the contract and [programas] DEI or similar ideologies”, which report to a specific email within 10 days.
Possible legal disputes
The Donald Trump government’s actions against diversity and inclusion programs must face legal action.
CNN previously reported that hundreds of civil rights groups are preparing for numerous lawsuits.
What is DEI or DEIA?
The term refers to a wide range of programs and policies aimed at groups that, historically, would have been underrepresented or faced discrimination.
It can include hiring and promotion policies, workplace training on “unconscious bias,” pay equity audits, mentoring and internship programs, employer-sponsored social events, and many other initiatives.
Some DEI policies are designed to address historical discrimination by ensuring that company-wide decisions are based entirely on merit and not existing biases.
Companies have focused on the diversity of their workforce for decades, but contemporary DEI initiatives have grown in the U.S. following the 2020 national protests over police killings of Black people.
Examples of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion practices
An example of a “DEI” practice is eliminating preferences for candidates who attended elite universities.
Some companies also offer opportunities for specific groups of workers, such as training programs for women or internships for black or Hispanic workers.
Examples of DEI programs at large federal agencies in the US include the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity and Inclusion, and the Department of Defense’s Office of Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity Policy.
THE CNN previously analyzed the proposed budgets of 20 federal agencies.
While they cited diversity initiatives in the FY 2024 and FY 2025 budget requests, not all of them explicitly detailed DEI spending.
*with information from Reuters
This content was originally published in Trump government suspends federal employees from diversity programs on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
