Microsoft sparked an internal revolt after firing its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) team, prompting the program’s leader to criticize the company’s “changing business needs.”
The tech giant’s move was exposed in an email obtained by Business Insiderwhich appears to show the internal DEI team leader criticizing the fact that diversity was “no longer core to the business.”
Microsoft joins a number of tech companies that are backtracking on DEI commitments they 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 has reportedly laid off its entire Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) team, prompting the team’s leader to criticize the company for feeling like it’s “no longer core to the business.”
In a statement to Business InsiderMicrosoft insisted that its “commitments to diversity and inclusion 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 requiring allyship and racial privilege training for all non-Black employees.
Previously, CEO Satya Nadella insisted Such movements would not be a “one-time event.”
However, the email reportedly criticized how since then “the real systems change work associated with DEI programs everywhere is no longer as business-critical or as smart as it was in 2020.”
This comes amid more questions about the company’s 2020 commitment to double the number of Black leaders it employs at the top of the company by 2025.
Microsoft’s progress on this promise appears unclear and the company did not immediately respond to a request for an update.
In a statement following the email exposure, Microsoft spokesman Jeff Jones said the company’s commitments “remain unchanged” and insisted its work on the issue “will remain steadfast.”
“Our focus on diversity and inclusion is unwavering and we remain steadfast in our expectations, prioritizing accountability and continuing to focus on this work,” she said.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella took a number of steps 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 name the employees reportedly laid off, though the firings come at a time when the tech giant typically lays off its workforce as the fiscal year comes to a close.
Last year, Microsoft announced plans to lay off 10,000 employees in a mass layoff, joining a host of rivals as the “tech disaster” swept through Silicon Valley.
Like other tech giants, Microsoft hired a slew of new staff during the pandemic as its profits soared.
But in the early months of 2023, the winds shifted as brands looked to salvage their bottom lines, and Microsoft has since continued to implement additional rounds of layoffs.
Mass layoffs also hit several of Microsoft’s competitors, with Amazon announcing plans to cut 18,000 employees around the same time.
Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk led the way as the “tech disaster” swept through Silicon Valley, laying off large groups of their employees to save their bottom line.
In March 2023, Meta announced it would eliminate approximately 10,000 jobs and stop hiring for 5,000 positions it was trying to fill, as part of a larger effort to cut 13 percent of its entire workforce.
The biggest round of cuts, however, came at Twitter, after billionaire Elon Musk bought the company for $44 billion before spinning it off into X.
Musk brutally cut 50 percent of the company’s workforce, reducing its staff to fewer than 2,000 people.