You’re Fired: Microsoft Lays off DEI Team as Diversity Ideals are ‘No Longer Business-Critical’
Corporations are “quiet quitting” DEI. Of course, the DEI hires won’t go quietly.
It appears that diversity equity inclusion (DEI) may be going the way of environmental and social governance (ESG), as corporations are now backing away due to the realities of implementing insanity.
In a glorious example of this developing trend, Microsoft laid off its DEI Team, as it appears diversity ideals are “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 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.
In a statement to Business Insider, Microsoft insisted that its ‘D&I commitments remain unchanged.’
The number of positions being eliminated remains unclear. It appears that may be the beginning of corporations “quiet quitting” DEI.
This comes just over four years after Microsoft announced a greater commitment to its DEI department, with CEO Satya Nadella having pledged “action to help address racial injustice and inequity” as part of the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement.
Nadella said Microsoft would invest $150 million into diversity and inclusion measures at the time and promised to double the number of black people in senior positions by 2025.
…Waseem Ali, CEO of data consultancy Rockborne, thinks Microsoft’s move is part of a wider trend of “quiet quitting” DEI efforts in the tech industry.
“Other global tech companies like Google and Meta have also made significant cuts to DEI programs in 2023 and this, combined with statements from key figures are helping to proliferate the sense that having a diverse workforce is a ‘nice-to-have’ rather than an essential,” he said.
Part of the move may be related to the company admitting proudly it paid white employees less than their “diversity” counterparts.
It is no surprise that Microsoft axed its DEI team as it recently faced backlash over its DEI goals in February. After Microsoft unveiled its 2023 Global Diversity & Inclusion report, a user on social media platform X highlighted a page from the report in a viral tweet which revealed that the company was addressing racial pay disparities by paying its white employees less than their counterparts.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk caught wind of the tweet and questioned whether or not that was even legal for Microsoft to do, which hurled more attention and criticism towards the company.
HOLY SHLIT. In Microsoft's official 2023 Diversity & Inclusion report, they openly admit that they are paying white people LESS than other ethnic groups in the name of "pay equity." pic.twitter.com/cJLoYeBfBo
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 23, 2024
Microsoft isn’t the only company to cave under pressure from consumers who scrutinized its DEI goals. Earlier this month, Tractor Supply (TSCO) cut its DEI initiatives and job roles after its conservative consumers bashed the company on social media for having “woke priorities” such as having a DEI council, advocating for climate change, funding pride events, etc.
Consumers even threatened to boycott the company if it didn’t remove these priorities, and in the midst of the backlash, Tractor Supply complied.
Yes, most normal Americans find racism and discrimination unfair and unnecessary.
While the DEI employees may not go quietly, we hope corporations will revert to judging staff on merit, excellence, and innovation.
Microsoft laid off their entire DEI team? 😂 https://t.co/DUEqKD3Aku pic.twitter.com/NcibglQhTv
— drefanzor memes (@drefanzor) July 17, 2024
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Comments
perfect setup for more riots while trump is potus so that fear (dems) can rule once again over commonsense (usa patriots)
did they really cave to consumers? or is that just wishful thinking to make people feel they have the power!!??
these companies have sooooo many government contracts from around the world
have sooo much info on alll politicians etc etc
they dont give a f
they have a slightttt fear of a trump pro american agenda
but thats about it
Just like CRT and all the gay stuff it will embedded into everything else and no need of a special office.
See Brad Smith’s friend of the court letter pushing boys into the girl’s locker room in Washington state. May he die of ass cancer.
📎 “Hello!
It looks like you’re trying to climb your way back out of Clown World!
Would you like me to help you with that?”
Former MSFT employee here.
I quit after a convo my skip level did not want to put in chat. Many shady things were going down- and hooo boy 3rd happiest day of my life will be if I get asked to testify against them on a number of subjects.
As noted- many shady things going on and the woke skip level wanted me (white male) gone. This is the sort of woman who took offense to a supplier using the term “gentlemans agreement” — because it was sexist. I should have known then to run for the hills.
I had gotten great reviews my entire time at the company including my first 6 month on that last team. Our team was adding a team member- and in the interviews for the one position- they hired 2 people. One was internal gal who knew our role and could do it. STRANGELY- they hired a second black guy- who was probably qualified, however there was only one position- why hire two when you only have budget for 1? In 25 years I’ve never seen that happen. There’s a lot to opening those reqs, getting budget, getting HC approved right…. Well in the week following- I started getting an inordinate amount of heat. A lot more than the usual day to day conflict we had to deal with in that position. First the heat was verbal and then she started hanging corrective action emails on me using things way out of context, but like the Trump kangaroo court prosecutions- this always puts the defendant at the disadvantage.. In the final convo- leading up to paper being hung on me- I was told “people she trusted and wouldn’t name did not like working with me and reached out to her that I was not helpful- and I needed to move on.”
There was some other shady stuff going on that I was pushing back on- which made it very easy for her to make this decision. MSFT and retaliation go hand in hand. Note the area I worked in was compliance for a topic they had gotten their butts sued for big time and were at risk for being sued again. The other conflict I was involved in and causing pushback- was the “compliance” program they had put together was a giant fraud. The compliance program was window dressing and they were flagrantly doing the exact stuff they got sued for- the role existed just to throw attorneys off the scent if they ever got sued again. That’s a role you definitely do not want a strong white male who questions things performing.
Also note- in 2013 I noticed they started handing MGR positions to POC like gravy. I also noticed through 2015 that POC were being picked up like the hottest commodities around. I’m like- wow- these black people must be super stars because the rest of us have to fight scratch and claw to get to our next position.
I see MSFT stock tumbled today. I guess all that bipoc and transgender action comes at a cost. When the layoffs come, there will be more space in their gender neutral bathrooms that were installed when they renovated the entire campus.
I’ve been a shareholder for the relevant period. I want my money back.
No joy. However, you’re now eligible for the class action suit!
MSFT has weathered that part quite well. I’m not complaining about the stock performance at all.
I think the Cloud Party is ending though. A lot of companies are pulling out of the cloud and going on prem. This will hurt all the players who have been cloud winners.
The company I work at now has been mismanaged for decades and throwing DEI into the mix makes them fail harder. (mid F100 company- constantly in the news for not good things) I can point to one or two DEI senior leaders who have cost them into the hundreds of millions in the short time I’ve worked there. They are lucky only morons own the stock or the shareholders should totally sue them.
There should be a huckster database containing names of all fired Affirmative and DEI people, Then people hiring can avoid recycling duds.
so- wait- Leslie- are you and Beege actually BF/GF- or was this just a hip hop journalistic term of endearment over at hot air?
Hard to tell with you bloggers.
https://hotair.com/tree-hugging-sister/2024/07/17/not-bows-and-flows-of-angel-hair-its-shards-of-razor-sharp-fiberglass-everywhere-n3791910
She just means “girlfriend” in the old way of a girl who is a friend. And also BFF.
I saw that later in the sad news on Karen Townsend . 🙁
I don’t believe that is correct use of the term quiet quitting. Quiet quitting is something that employees do.
MS has eliminated some jobs because they don’t add value. Training seminars on gender neutral language (or whatever the current fad) can be outsourced to consultants and independent contractors. Not necessary to keep them on the payroll full-time.
DEI was a solution to a mirage of a problem. Eventually, in the business world, economic reality sets in. It is in government employment that is under far less real economic pressure that DEI will continue to flourish unless some executive takes action. We have already seen some state governments that have either eliminated DEI positions or constrained their scope of action. I hope that early next year a new Federal administration will root DEI out with major ripple effects on contractors.
“DEI was a solution to a mirage of a problem.”
More like another leftist fad (non) solution to a nagging but ill-defined problem.
“(Corporate) existence isn’t as satisfying as you hoped?
Cut your * offHire the vibrantly less-qualified!I suspect many more companies gonna decide these luxury beliefs cost too much. How many other employees have been passed over? How many careers wrecked by bogus claims? Trust in an organization, not really trust of the org so much as trusting your teammates and a couple levels of supervisors to have your back is fragile. People notice when someone else is stabbed in the back, unjustly passed over for a promotion, denied recognition or hauled into HR for some BS reason the office Karen, scolds are fixated on. They see it and wonder when they gonna get the shaft. They keep their heads down do the bare minimum + a tiny fraction and that’s it and search for a way out. There’s likely been a huge erosion in talent, experience and organizational knowledge from Covid till nkw. Add to this all the HR Karens on a jihad v this/that item of the moment, then add mandatory DEI crap and lectures about trans or using pronouns in bio/e-mail. The few remaining productive folks better be looked after or they gonna bounce to a better place as soon as they are able to find a landing spot.
A business can spend money on wasteful initiatives only for so many years before it will impact the bottom line, require customer prices to go up, reduce shareholder value, etc. Very glad to see some companies starting to understand and reduce this waste.
The TRUE COSTS of not only USELESS, but DETRIMENTAL “positions” would be STAGGERING to the average American struggling to rent or buy a Home, car, or buggy of groceries!! Look at the various Departments in Washington for PRIME examples! Maybe some smart guy can compile a spreadsheet of the USELESS positions, the TOTAL COSTS, and how much that would “save” All Americans! I’m guessing if we eliminate the rotted wood – not just the dead wood – we could make a BIG dent in Our National Debt!