Tech giant Microsoft is in turmoil with allegations of closing one of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) teams and laying off numerous employees. The former team leader is said to have exposed many hidden issues within the company’s management and operations in an internal email sent to many Microsoft employees.
Tough times ahead for Microsoft
According to the email first revealed by Business Insider, the former Microsoft team leader and all his team were laid off on July 1, 2024, citing changing business and labor needs. The DEI teams, created after the Black Lives Matter protests in the US in 2020, were also recently disbanded by major companies like Google and Meta, causing a significant public impact.
According to the email sent by the former company employee, DEI programs in all businesses face similar cuts or the risk of complete closure. The email, which includes details about the layoff process, also accuses Microsoft’s top management of discrimination, harassment, and toxic behavior towards employees.
Microsoft, which has recently made different statements about Xbox Game Pass strategies, has confused players.
Here are the statements from the email sent by the former Microsoft employee:
“After George Floyd’s murder, many companies’ inclusion commitments are being strategically reevaluated for a 3-5 year lifespan. From what I’ve seen, the timing was perfect so that all businesses could avoid being at risk by federal contracts with these superficial efforts.”
In summary, the former employee claims that the departments established after the George Floyd incident were token gestures, and once the situation calmed down, the workers in those departments were dismissed.
What do you think about these allegations? Feel free to share your thoughts with us in the comments section.
