Federal workers in diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility offices are on administrative leave following an executive order from President Donald Trump.
A memo sent Tuesday by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management instructed agencies to notify those staffers no later than 5 p.m. Wednesday that they are being placed on administrative leave, according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
DEI programs seek to promote fair treatment and full participation of all people, particularly people of color and other historically marginalized groups.
“This is going to be a pretty significant impact for a lot of individuals, particularly in the Washington region, where the headquarters are often where DEI initiatives are concentrated,” explained Steve Farnsworth, PhD, a political science professor at the University of Mary Washington. “You’re looking at a number of people who may be looking at other jobs in federal government. They may need to be transferred. That could create some dynamics involving bumping people in terms of unions.”
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