Trump Administration Directs All Federal DEI Employees Be Put on Leave

The memo directs agencies to place DEI employees on paid leave by 5 p.m. on Jan. 22.

President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Jan. 21, 2025. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a memo on Jan. 21 instructing that all federal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) employees must be put on paid leave as agencies work to dismantle DEI initiatives.

The OPM is an independent agency of the federal government that manages the federal civil service.