Microsoft has quietly fired its diversity, equity and inclusion team, it has emerged, after an insider leaked emails detailing changes the company was making for the new fiscal year.
It’s unclear how many employees Microsoft has decided to lay off, but the move will reportedly begin on July 1, 2024 due to “changing business needs.”
“The true systems change work associated with DEI programs everywhere is no longer as business-critical or smart as it was in 2020,” the email said. Business Insider.
“Our commitment to D&I remains the same.”
Microsoft spokesman Geoff Jones responded by saying the company remains deeply committed to DEI, but did not specifically confirm or deny the reports.
“Our focus on diversity and inclusion is unwavering, and we remain committed to this work, adhering to our expectations and prioritizing accountability.”
He added that Microsoft’s “commitment to D&I remains unchanged.”
The job cuts come as Microsoft is nearing the end of its fiscal year, bringing the company’s total job cuts to about 10,000 in 2023. Management cited economic uncertainty and inflation as the main reasons for letting employees go.
The DEI layoffs come just months after Microsoft was accused of glorifying discrimination based on race and gender in its annual “Diversity and Inclusion Report.”
In February 2024, Microsoft proudly proclaimed in a document that its Black, Asian and Hispanic employees earn more than their white counterparts, and also noted that its female employees earn more than their male colleagues working at the same level and in the same roles.
As The Daily Wire According to reports, Microsoft began investing heavily in DEI programs following the death of George Floyd, committing $150 million to DEI programs and committing to “double the number of Black and African American managers, senior individual contributors, and senior leaders in the U.S. by 2025.”
But the trend is moving in the opposite direction, with companies like Zoom dismantling their DEI departments. Zoom, a competitor to Microsoft’s Skype application, fired its DEI team in February 2024, saying it wanted to focus on working with external consultants instead of its in-house team.
The consultancy will focus on “inclusion” and seek to get “the whole workforce” involved, CEO Aparna Bawa said. Bloomberg at that time.
Zoom also launched a DEI program following the death of George Floyd.
The name of the person who leaked the internal Microsoft emails was not made public.
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