The Trump administration is ordering all federal employees in diversity, equity and inclusion roles be placed on paid leave by Wednesday evening, according to a new memo from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
The memo issued Tuesday to heads of departments and agencies sets a deadline of no later than Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET to inform the employees that they will be put on paid administrative leave as the agencies prepare to close all DEI-related offices and programs and to remove all websites, social media accounts for such offices.
The directive comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday ending “radical and wasteful” diversity, equity and inclusion programs in federal agencies, with DEI offices and programs being ordered to shut down.
“President Trump campaigned on ending the scourge of DEI from our federal government and returning America to a merit based society where people are hired based on their skills, not for the color of their skin,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Tuesday night. “This is another win for Americans of all races, religions, and creeds. Promises made, promises kept.”
It wasn’t immediately clear how many employees would be affected by Tuesday’s order.
The memo also asks federal agencies to submit “a written plan for executing a reduction-in-force action” regarding the employees in DEI roles by Jan. 31.
Near the end of his first term in 2020, Trump signed an executive order prohibiting federal DEI programs. Former President Joe Biden countered that by signing actions aimed at racial equality shortly after taking office in 2021.
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