Donald Trump administration to ‘lay off’ government employees in DEI offices

The administration of US President Donald Trump has instructed that all government staff working in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes be placed on immediate paid administrative leave, with plans to terminate their employment next.

The administration intends to lay off all federal employees who were part of DEI offices as of this past Election Day.

Deadline for agencies

A NBC report stated that according to a new memo from the Office of Personnel Management, agencies have been directed to comply by 5 PM on January 22, as outlined in a memorandum issued on January 21 by Charles Ezell, acting director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

An executive order issued by Trump, who was sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, mandates all agencies to immediately cease any DEI activities. Trump stated that such initiatives undermine a merit-based civil service and society. The new directive applies to all offices and sub-units focused solely on DEI-related initiatives and programmes.

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Notifications

The memo instructs agencies to notify employees of office closures, remove all public-facing references to such offices, withdraw pending DEI-related directives, and cancel any DEI training sessions. Agencies are also expected to notify affected staff about their administrative leave by Wednesday.

A sample letter from OPM outlines that the agencies will inform staff that DEI programmes “divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars and resulted in shameful discrimination.” Agencies must report any attempts to obscure DEI activities since the election, with failure to do so within 10 days potentially leading to disciplinary action.

What about employees’ salaries?

Notifications will be sent to affected employees, confirming they will continue to receive their full salary and benefits while on administrative leave. However, they will not be required to attend the office, and their work email accounts will be suspended.

“We will provide you with updates as soon as they are available. We appreciate your patience and cooperation,” the letter will mention.

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Implementation plans

Agencies must update OPM by January 23 regarding their progress in implementing the directive, including a list of all impacted employees. A reduction-in-force plan, coordinated with OPM, will then be developed for affected staff and is expected to be finalised by the end of January.

FAQs

What does DEI stand for?
DEI stands for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

When was Donald Trump sworn in as US President?
Donald Trump took oath as the 47th President of the United states of America on January 20, 2025.