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.’
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 joins a number of tech companies in walking back DEI commitments that were made in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020, including Google, Meta and Zoom.
It is unclear how many employees were laid off, and Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment when contacted by DailyMail.com.
Microsoft reportedly laid off its entire diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) team, leading the team’s leader to slam the company for feeling it is ‘no longer business critical’
In a statement to Business Insider, Microsoft insisted that its ‘D&I commitments remain unchanged.’
But according to the reported email leak, the former DEI team leader felt the company had quietly given up on the DEI initiatives it pushed during the BLM protests.
This included spending $150 million on DEI programs, and mandating training on racial allyship and privilege for all non-Black employees.
CEO Satya Nadella previously insisted such moves would not be a ‘one-time event.’
However, the email reportedly scathed how in the time since, ‘true systems-change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020.’
It comes amid further questions over the company’s pledge in 2020 to double the number of Black leaders it employs at the top of the company by 2025.
Microsoft’s progress on this promise appears to be unclear, and the company did not immediately respond to a request for an update.
In a statement after the email was exposed, Microsoft spokesperson Jeff Jones said the company’s commitments ‘remain unchanged’, and insisted its work on the issue will ‘hold firm.’
‘Our focus on diversity and inclusion is unwavering and we are holding firm on our expectations, prioritizing accountability, and continuing to focus on this work,’ he said.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella made a number of moves in the wake of the BLM protests that he promised would not be a ‘one time event’ – including funneling $150 million into DEI programs
The statement did not mention the reportedly fired employees, although they come at a time when the tech giant routinely culls its workforce when the fiscal year comes to an end.
Last year, Microsoft announced plans to fire 10,000 staffers in a mass-sacking, joining a number of rivals as ‘tech wreck’ swept Silicon Valley.
Like other tech giants, Microsoft hired a large number of new staff during the pandemic as its profits soared.
But in the first months of 2023, the winds shifted as brands looked to save their bottom lines – with Microsoft continuing to roll out additional rounds of layoffs since.
Mass layoffs also hit a number of Microsoft’s competitors, with Amazon announcing plans around the same time to sack 18,000 employees.
Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk led the way when ‘tech wreck’ swept Silicon Valley, laying off huge swaths of their employees to save their bottom lines
In March 2023, Meta announced it would cut roughly 10,000 jobs and cease recruiting in 5,000 positions it was trying to fill, part of a larger effort to cut 13 percent of its entire workforce.
The most high-profile round of cuts, however, came at Twitter, after billionaire Elon Musk bought the company for $44 billion before turning it into X.
Musk brutally cut 50 percent of the whole company’s workforce, taking its whole staff count to fewer than 2,000 people.
