State Department compensates 295 employees for denied DEI claims

State Department Employees to Receive Compensation

Hundreds of employees from the State Department are set to receive compensation following an internal investigation led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which uncovered that many were denied promotions during the Biden administration for not meeting new diversity, equity, and inclusion standards.

Alongside the removal of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) criteria from the promotion process, about 295 employees—who had points deducted for lacking a “commitment to workforce diversity”—will now be eligible for raises, promotions, and citations.

A State Department official described this move as, perhaps, a sort of reparation to those employees impacted by the previous administration’s policies. The internal review involved over 7,000 employees who will be competing for 2024 promotions, evaluated on various criteria including communication, leadership, management, knowledge, and DEIA—a standard that had changed under Donald Trump, according to previous reports.

Promotion committee members, as noted by State Department officials, were influenced by junior staff, which led to a perceived insensitivity toward the DEIA principles. The concern is that these previous rules were detrimental to those who didn’t show a strong commitment to diversity within their teams.

Chief deputy press secretary Tommy Piggott remarked, “The Biden administration has imposed an ideological litmus test on public servants, penalizing competent individuals in the process.”

Under the Trump administration and Secretary Rubio, the focus at the State Department seems to be shifting back to recognizing merit. Critics argue this isn’t just about individual promotions—it’s indicative of a broader trend to dismantle DEI-focused guidelines across federal entities, a part of Trump’s promise to reinstate merit-based criteria in civil service evaluations.

The State Department’s 2022-2025 hiring guide previously required applicants to showcase their commitment to DEIA, expecting entry-level candidates to enhance their self-awareness regarding inclusivity. Additionally, supervisors were advised to quickly respond to non-inclusive behaviors and engage affected staff before making decisions.

On his first day in office, President Biden had signed an executive order mandating federal agencies to pursue equity-focused policies, stating that it was the government’s responsibility to promote civil rights and equal opportunities for everyone, especially those historically underserved.