The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a memo on Tuesday instructing agency heads to notify their employees about potential "adverse consequences" should they fail to report colleagues in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEI) roles. This directive, part of the Trump administration's broader effort to dismantle diversity initiatives, required employees to act by 5 p.m. Wednesday and report unrecognized DEI positions within 10 days.
The notice warned federal employees that non-compliance could lead to serious repercussions. Workers received emails with uniform language across multiple agencies confirming the urgency and seriousness of the matter.
"We are aware of efforts by some in government to disguise these programs by using coded or imprecise language."
The latest memo is consistent with the Trump administration's anti-diversity stance, following the revocation of an executive order prohibiting discrimination by federal contractors. This order, initially signed on Trump's first day in office, mandated the collection and reporting of data on employees' sex, race, and ethnicity—an effort to foster diversity in the federal workforce, which had been in place for decades.
"These programs divided Americans by race, wasted taxpayer dollars, and resulted in shameful discrimination."
On Monday, Trump further solidified his stance by signing an executive order emphasizing that U.S. policy should "recognize two sexes, male and female." This move aligns with previous efforts to rollback affirmative action and redefine federal employment policies.
"affirmative action and prohibits federal contractors from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin."
The directive also required agency heads to place employees in DEI roles on paid leave by Wednesday's end. However, it remained uncertain whether any department or agency head chose to modify or omit the DEI reporting language in their communications with staff.
"However, failure to report this information within 10 days may result in adverse consequences."
While the directive was disseminated through emails obtained by NBC News, White House spokespeople did not clarify what specific "adverse consequences" might entail or how enforcement would occur.
"There will be no adverse consequences for timely reporting this information."
The Trump administration's pushback against diversity initiatives underscores a significant shift in federal policy priorities. As DEI roles face increasing scrutiny, federal employees are caught between compliance and the potential for punitive measures.