Microsoft faces backlash after firing DEI team in US, internal email blasts company’s ‘changing business needs’

This move by Microsoft was exposed in an email that Business Insider obtained. The email revealed that the DEI internal team claimed diversity was “no longer business critical.”

“True systems-change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020,” the team’s leader wrote in an email to thousands of employees. According to the email, the team was fired due to “changing business needs” as of July 1. How many people were affected remains unclear.

After George Floyd’s murder in 2020, various technology companies, including Microsoft, vowed to improve diversity efforts. Historic protests followed Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police officer.

Microsoft promised to double the number of black leaders within the company by 2025. The progress on this claim is unclear.

However, the email leak suggested that the ex-DEI team leader believes Microsoft had given up on the DEI initiatives that were pushed during the Black Lives Matter protests. The initiatives included spending $150 million on DEI programs, among others.

Microsoft says its ‘D&I commitments remain unchanged’

At the time, CEO Satya Nadella said these moves would not be a “one-time event.” However, the email insisted that as time went by, “true systems-change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020.”

Microsoft, however, has said in a statement that its “D&I commitments remain unchanged.” After the email was exposed, Microsoft spokesperson Jeff Jones said that their commitments have not changed and that 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,” Jones said.

The statement said nothing about the employees reportedly being fired. Last year, the company announced that it planned to fire 10,000 staffers.