Microsoft Layoffs and Entire Unit Termination: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Related: Microsoft: Nationalism As A Service (NaaS)
After Microsoft laid off an internal team focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion, a team leader blasted the company for a lack of investment in these efforts.
"True systems-change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020," a leader of the team wrote in an email sent to thousands of employees, which was viewed by Business Insider.
The email states the team was eliminated due to "changing business needs" as of July 1. It's unclear how many employees were affected.
Many technology companies, including Microsoft, made commitments to improve diversity efforts after the 2020 murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer and the historic protests that followed.
[...]
Microsoft typically makes cuts to its workforce around this time of year when its fiscal year rolls over. Lately, layoffs at Microsoft and technology companies in general have become more common. The company announced plans last year to cut 10,000 employees within the first few months of 2023. It has conducted additional rounds of layoffs since then.
What an announcement to make just before Independence Day!