Backlash and Negative Press After Microsoft Tells Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) People to DIE

posted by Roy Schestowitz on Jul 16, 2024,
updated Jul 18, 2024

Yesterday: Microsoft Layoffs and Entire Unit Termination: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Follow-up stories:

• Microsoft Faces Backlash After DEI Team Layoffs

  Microsoft’s recent decision to lay off its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) team due to “changing business needs” has stirred controversy within the company, Business Insider reports.

• Microsoft lays off its DEI team as fired staff complain diversity ideals were 'no longer business-critical'

  The tech giant's move was exposed in an email obtained by Business Insider, which appears to show the DEI internal team leader criticizing the fact diversity was 'no longer business critical.'

• Microsoft DEI Lead Blasts Company in Internal Email After Team Is Reportedly Laid Off

  Microsoft is reportedly shuttering a major diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) team, according to an internal email sent by the team's leader to a significant number of Microsoft staff last week, in which the lead also accuses the company's executive leadership of "investigated and evidenced discrimination, harassment, and toxicity."

  The email, first reported by Business Insider and corroborated by IGN, was sent by the former lead of one of Microsoft's key DEI teams. In it, they state that their "role and team were eliminated due to 'changing business needs' as of July 1st, 2024." IGN has reached out to Microsoft for comment as to the full extent and nature of these layoffs, but has not yet heard back.

  The email goes on to assert that DEI programs are in danger not just at Microsoft, but across all businesses:

  "Unofficially in my opinion, not specific to Microsoft alone, but [conservative policy plan] Project 2025 looms and true systems change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020. Hence the purposeful and strategic 3-5 year shelf life of many company's inclusion commitments post the murder of George Floyd are being reevaluated," the email reads. "And the way I see it, the timing was impeccable so businesses everywhere could reevaluate the path forward should their U.S. federal contracts be at risk if the work continues on its face."

• Microsoft lays off its DEI team as ex staff slam company

  Microsoft sparked internal revolt after it fired its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) team, leading the program's leader to slam the company's 'changing business needs.'

That last one is even in a Microsoft site/portal.

Update

They have failed to keep the wraps on it.

• Microsoft quietly lays off a controversial team following backlash

  In 2020, after George Floyd was murdered by a white police officer who assisted in his arrest; the incident brought to light several inequities Black people face in America. This introspection resulted in a domino effect that pushed many large companies in the corporate world to adopt diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. These policies were aimed at advancing opportunities in the workplace for people of various backgrounds.

• Microsoft Leadership Accused Of "Evidenced Discrimination" After Reported DEI Layoffs

  Microsoft has been accused of shutting down one of its key diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) teams last month, according to a scathing internal email sent to various employees by the team's former lead. In this email, the former DEI lead also accuses executive leadership at Microsoft of "investigated and evidenced discrimination, harassment, and toxicity."

  First reported by Business Insider (and later confirmed by IGN), the former DEI lead sent out an internal email explaining that their "role and team were eliminated" as of July 1 due to Microsoft's "changing business needs." At the time of writing, the full extent of these layoffs has not been revealed by the former DEI lead or Microsoft itself, though spokesperson Jeff Jones had released a statement to Business Wire explaining the company's D&I commitments "remain unchanged."

• Microsoft cuts jobs in DEI team; laid-off leader criticises move in an email sent to thousands of employees

• Microsoft Ditches DEI and They’re BIG MAD!

  Microsoft has slashed at least one DEI team, with a fired diversity worker claiming it was ‘no longer business critical’ to them. And they’re BIG MAD. Yes, we’re seeing tech pivot from DEI to MEI (meritocracy) and back to (hopefully) profitability. No more charity.

Seems like more DEI layoffs are on the way at Microsoft:

• Report: Microsoft shuts down DEI team, ex-lead claims similar programs at risk

  According to IGN, Microsoft has just closed down a "major" team focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The cuts occurred last week and may signal a larger shift away from the movement which started in 2020.

  Reportedly, the DEI team shut down on July 1 due to "changing business needs." In an internal email obtained by the outlet, a former lead for the team believes the cuts were done to get ahead of the Project 2025 conservative policy plan.

  "True systems change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020," they wrote. "The timing was impeccable, so businesses everywhere could reevaluate the path forward should their U.S. federal contracts be at risk if the work continues on its face."

  In that same email, the former lead alleges Microsoft executives were "investigated and [there was] evidence [of] discrimination, harassment, and toxicity" towards them during their tenure. Despite this, they stressed "impossible mountains were moved" by the DEI teams.

12 more this afternoon:

• Microsoft Faces Backlash After Disbanding DEI Team

  Microsoft is under scrutiny following the disbandment of its internal team dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). A team leader, in an email circulated among thousands of employees, publicly criticized the company for what they perceive as a waning commitment to these vital efforts. The leader expressed deep concerns about the potential ramifications not only within Microsoft but across the broader corporate landscape.

  [...]

  Despite the critique, the email also praised the achievements of Microsoft’s DEI teams, highlighting their profound impact on the company’s culture. The leader lauded their resilience in overcoming substantial challenges, describing their efforts as having moved “impossible mountains” and commending their ethical and strategic prowess.

  However, the leader did not shy away from accusing Microsoft’s executive leadership of fostering a discriminatory and toxic environment. They cited instances of investigated discrimination, harassment, and toxicity directed towards DEI team members during their tenure.

• Microsoft Shuts Down DEI Team; Staff Claims Inclusivity No Longer Important

  In an industry where DEI has become a massive deal, with the likes of Sweet Baby Inc. being huge forces, Microsoft has been accused of evidenced discrimination. The company recently shut down its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) team as a part of its new business strategy.

  Why it matters: Forced inclusivity has certainly become a huge part of the industry today. This is a bigger deal for Microsoft since DEI is also big in gaming today.

• Pink Slips for the Woke: Microsoft Eliminates DEI Team amid ‘Changing Business Needs’

  Tech giant Microsoft has disbanded an internal team dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), due to “changing business needs.” Ditching DEI has sparked criticism from within the woke company about its commitment to these initiatives.

• Microsoft Lays Off Entire DEI Team Citing "Changing Business Needs," Sparks Controversy

• Report: Microsoft shuts down diversity, equity and inclusion team

  Microsoft has reportedly shut down a major team dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

  According to IGN, Microsoft disbanded its DEI team on Monday, July 1st 2024, citing “changing business needs" in an email sent to thousands of employees.

  While the exact number of affected staff is undisclosed, a former team lead believes the cuts happened due to the Project 2025 conservative policy plan.

  "True systems change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020," they wrote in an email.

• Microsoft decides diversity ‘no longer business critical’, claims sacked manager

  Microsoft has decided diversity is “no longer business critical”, a former manager has claimed, after the company sacked two staff working on initiatives focused on inclusivity.

  The tech giant laid off the employees working on its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, just four years after it pledged to double the number of black leaders within the company by 2025.

  An email sent by one of the sacked workers, seen by Business Insider, said: “True systems-change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020.”

• Microsoft shuts down diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) team

  Microsoft, a global name in technology, has closed down its diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) team.

  According to Business Insider, which viewed correspondence sent out to thousands of employees, Microsoft no longer views DEI as “business critical.”

  A team leader at the global computing company said the move was due to “changing business needs,” but internal colleagues and onlookers have disagreed with the company-wide decision.

• Report: Microsoft Axes An Entire DEI Team Claiming “DEI Programs Everywhere Are No Longer Business Critical Or Smart As They Were In 2020”

  This new report comes from Business Insider’s Ashley Stewart, who writes, “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.”

  The email from the manager stated in-part, “True systems-change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020.”

  The report also noted the “team was eliminated because of ‘changing business needs’ as of July 1.”

• Microsoft Layoffs: Tech Giant Lays Off DEI Employees via Sending Email to Employees, Calls Team ‘No Longer Business Critical or Smart’

  Microsoft followed a path of layoffs that affected the DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) team by sending an internal email to them. Several other companies have witnessed the layoffs this year, where they sacked the employees without intimating them. In silent layoffs, the company usually do not encourage the employees to speak about losing their jobs as they pay them.

  Microsoft's latest attempt at a silent layoff was due to changing business needs. Business Insider reported that the layoffs followed commitments made by Microsoft and other tech companies after the George Floyd protests. The report highlighted that the tech giant emailed thousands of employees about the job cuts.

• The reasons behind Microsoft DEI team’s layoff

  With the Microsoft DEI team’s layoff, a significant incident has occurred as detailed in a revealing internal email. This communication, penned by the now-disbanded team’s leader, accuses Microsoft’s upper management of discrimination, harassment, and toxicity.

• Microsoft Layoffs: Firm's DEI Team Firing Spark Internal Criticism; Laid-Off Leader Criticises The Move

  Microsoft Layoffs: Microsoft has fired an internal team dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), explaining that this decision was driven by "changing business needs,” according to a recent report by Business Insider. The recent layoffs, which became effective on July 1, have ignited considerable controversy and discussion among employees within the company.

  The decision comes even though Microsoft had previously committed to enhancing diversity initiatives, such as a pledge made in 2020 to double the representation of Black and African-American leaders within the company by 2025. However, the current status of progress on this initiative is not clear right now.

• Diversity Takes a Backseat as a Microsoft DEI Team Is Laid Off

  In the latest updates to the job cuts occurring this year, one of Microsoft’s DEI teams has just been let go. DEI job cuts have grown in number since 2023, and Microsoft is not the first company to make the move, however, the increasing number of cuts is causing employees to become concerned. The decision came to light after the team lead sent out an email to other staff members at the organization, sharing their thoughts on the move.

  Microsoft’s DEI cuts don’t stand in isolation as the company has been making significant changes to its workforce this year. The company’s shift in AI prioritization and its decision to close unproductive units of its business has led to several job cuts at the organization and the DEI team is likely another part of the same strategy.

Some late comers:

• Microsoft fires one of its key inclusion teams

  Microsoft has laid off a large team responsible for diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) at the company, according to a letter to employees from one of its executives. This was reported by IGN.

• Microsoft reportedly closes diversity, equity, and inclusion team due to ‘changing business needs’

  Microsoft has reportedly disbanded a team focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) because of “changing business needs.”

  In the internal email announcing the shuttering to several Microsoft staff, the team lead also accused the company’s leadership of “investigated and evidenced discrimination, harassment, and toxicity.”

  Initially reported by Business Insider on July 16, the email came from the lead of a key DEI team at Microsoft announcing that their “role and team were eliminated due to ‘changing business needs’ as of July 1st, 2024.” However, we have yet to know how many employees were affected by the layoff. The decision is notable given Microsoft’s earlier public commitments to enhance diversity efforts, including a 2020 pledge to double the number of Black and African-American leaders in the company by 2025.

• Microsoft fires diversity and inclusion team; boss lashes out at company | Ruetir

  Video game and technology companies have been hit by layoffs in recent months, and this time Microsoft is giving something to talk about not only because layoffs are being reported again, but also because they reveal the company’s lack of interest in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

  A report from Business Insider has just come to light revealing that Microsoft has reportedly fired its diversity, equity, and inclusion team, which is known thanks to the fact that the leader of said division shared an email that he allegedly sent to thousands of employees, in which he takes the opportunity to attack the company for its lack of interest in the subject.

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• Microsoft reportedly fires DEI team — becoming latest company to ditch ‘woke’ policy

  Microsoft has reportedly laid off a team devoted to diversity, equity and inclusion after pouring millions of dollars into the initiative — becoming the latest major company to ditch the “woke” policy.

  The Big Tech giant disbanded the DEI team at the beginning of the month due to “changing business needs,” according to a July 1 email obtained by Business Insider.

  It is unclear how many employees were affected.

  The decision was a further sign that companies are pulling back on diversity-based initiatives that were put in place following the 2020 death of George Floyd and the subsequent Black Lives Matter protest campaigns.

• Microsoft Layoffs: Job Cuts Announced As Microsoft Reportedly Disbands DEI Team, Sacked Leader Slams Decision in Email Sent to Employees

  Microsoft has announced significant job cuts with the disbandment of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) team, citing shifting business needs as the reason behind the layoffs. The decision has sparked controversy within the company, with the sacked team leader criticising the move in an email sent to employees. Reportedly, the leader of the disbanded team has openly criticized Microsoft, labelling its corporate culture as "toxic and discriminatory." In an email sent to thousands of employees, the leader expressed disappointment, suggesting that the company no longer values the transformative impact of DEI initiatives. Microsoft Snubs ChatGPT-Developer OpenAI, Quits Board Observer Seat Amid Regulatory Scrutiny: Report.

• Microsoft staffer blasts decision to lay off internal team focused on diversity due to "changing business needs"

  A Microsoft team leader has emailed thousands of staff to protest the closure of a major internal group focused on promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within the company.

  The outgoing staff member blasted Microsoft's decision to cut their team amid a wider cooling in the corporate space to the need for diversity groups generally.

  A quote from the email first published by Business Insider claims that the team had been told it was "eliminated due to 'changing business needs'".

• Microsoft dissolves DEI team; criticised by TL for layoff

  Considering that Microsoft had set itself a goal of doubling the number of Blacks and African-Americans in its workforce by 2025, the news of its diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) team being laid off comes as a surprise. The actual number of employees impacted is not known yet, but the contents of a mail, sent by an affected team leader, have grabbed headlines. The team member has expressed his frustration at the hoplessness of the situation.

• Microsoft cuts some of its DE&I staff

  Microsoft quietly laid off some of its DE&I practitioners on July 1, according to Business Insider.

  The company reportedly told affected employees the decision was based on “changing business needs.”

  In response, one impacted team leader sent an email to thousands of Microsoft employees, alleging the company isn’t invested enough in DE&I.

  “True systems change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020,” they wrote, before arguing that all corporate DE&I initiatives are at risk due to conservative political agendas, IGN reported.

  Microsoft would not disclose how many employees were impacted by the layoffs.

Former Microsoft:

• No. Abusive Monopolist Microsoft Did Not Lay Off All DEI Staff.

  Only one DEI team was axed (of many). Abusive Monopolist Microsoft continuing all DEI policies.

• Microsoft Lays Off Some DEI Staff, Keeps DEI Policies

  The same DEI Lead also accused Microsoft leadership of "discrimination, harassment, and toxicity" directed towards the DEI team, itself. The details of that alleged discrimination remain unclear.

  There are many questions surrounding these layoffs. How many employees are involved? And, perhaps even more importantly, what does this mean for Microsoft's overall DEI policies?

  Speaking to one Microsoft whistleblower, The Lunduke Journal was told, "[This layoff is] just one head on the hydra. Every team has DEI promoters." The whistleblower goes on to say, "[DEI] is everywhere."

  Multiple Microsoft sources made it clear that the majority of DEI-focused Microsoft employees remained in their roles -- and that these layoffs, whatever their total number (which remains unknown), represents a small portion of the total DEI initiative within the company.

Still in the news:

• Diversity measures no longer “business critical” at Microsoft, internal emails suggest

  Microsoft has been hit with fierce internal criticism after eliminating a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) team, according to internal documents viewed by Business Insider. The criticism came from a team leader at Microsoft who wrote of a changing focus at the firm in an email sent to thousands of employees, focusing on the lack of investment and commitment to DEI. “True systems-change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020,” the team leader wrote.

• Microsoft faces backlash over DEI team layoffs amid diversity commitments

  After Microsoft laid off its internal team dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), a team leader criticised the company for insufficiently supporting the initiative.

  A team leader stated in an email to thousands of employees, viewed by Business Insider, that “true systems-change work associated with DEI programmes everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020”.

• Microsoft Becomes The Latest Corporation To Ditch DEI Team, Labels It ‘No Longer Business Critical’

  The Microsoft team that focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) was quietly dismantled as the team lead criticized the tech company’s lack of investment.

  The team was made aware of the layoffs via email on Jul. 1 that claimed the elimination was a result of “changing business needs.” While it is unclear how many employees the move affected, one employee, the team’s lead, took the time to blast the decision. “True systems-change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020,” a leader wrote.

• Microsoft lays off internal team dedicated to diversity, equity, inclusion: Details here

  Microsoft has disbanded its internal team dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) due to "changing business needs," as reported by Business Insider. The layoffs became effective on July 1 and have caused controversy within the company. Despite Microsoft's previous commitments to enhancing diversity efforts, including a 2020 pledge to double the number of Black and African-American leaders by 2025, the current progress on this initiative is unclear.

  A leader of the dissolved team criticised the decision in an email to thousands of Microsoft employees, stating that the team is no longer considered critical for the company. This move comes in the midst of a broader trend in the tech industry, as companies like Zoom, Google, and Meta have also reportedly scaled back their diversity programs in recent months.

  These layoffs are part of Microsoft's annual workforce adjustments, which usually occur around the start of its fiscal year. However, the company has been conducting more frequent rounds of job cuts lately, including a significant reduction of 10,000 employees announced in early 2023.

• Microsoft lays off DEI team, calling it 'no longer business critical or smart'

  Microsoft was revealed to have quietly laid off a diversity, equity, and inclusion team after insiders leaked an email detailing the change at the company for the new fiscal year.

  While it is unclear how many employees Microsoft decided to let go, the move was reportedly made due to "changing business needs," starting on July 1, 2024.

  "True systems-change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020," the email said, according to Business Insider.

• Microsoft's Surprising DEI Shift Amidst A Year Of Unprecedented Changes, A 17% Year-To-Date Gain, And Promises Of Continued Workplace Diversity

  Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) has recently disbanded its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) team. This information was revealed through a leaked email from the DEI team leader, who mentioned "changing business needs" as the reason for the decision.

• 'Changing Business Needs': Microsoft Cuts Jobs In DEI Team

  Microsoft has reportedly disbanded its internal team dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), citing “changing business needs.”

  According to a Business Insider report, the layoffs, which took effect on July 1, have stirred controversy within the company.