By the end of Wednesday, heads of departments and agencies must start taking action to close all diversity, equity, and inclusion offices and put government employees working in those offices on paid leave, according to a notification from the federal Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Employees in any federal diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility offices will be placed on paid administrative leave “effective immediately,” according to a post from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

The Trump administration's latest directive requires federal agencies to eliminate DEI programs, remove associated webpages, and place DEI office employees on paid leave by January 31, 2025, as part of efforts to restore merit-based hiring practices.