Thousands of government workers received emails Wednesday from the Trump administration instructing them to report any attempts to mask diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives within their agencies.
Failure to comply could result in "adverse consequences," the notice warned.
The directive follows President Donald Trump's executive orders banning DEI programs across the federal government, a move he's framed as a step toward a "merit-based" system.
"We're really freaked out and overwhelmed," one Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) worker admitted to the BBC.
The Office of Personnel Management required federal agency heads to deliver the message by Wednesday evening. The drafted email template, obtained by the BBC, called on employees to "report all facts and circumstances" about DEI-related activities to a newly established government email address within 10 days.
However alleged variations of the message have sparked confusion. Treasury Department employees received a version of the email that omitted the explicit mention of "adverse consequences," according to a copy shared with the outlet.
"DEI policies are absolute nonsense,'" Trump declared during a Thursday speech at the World Economic Conference in Switzerland. He doubled down on his administration's commitment to "abolish" all DEI initiatives and framed the move as a step toward making America a "merit-based country."
"President Trump's executive orders rescinding affirmative action and banning DEI programs are a major milestone in American civil rights progress," Yukong Mike Zhao, president of the Asian American Coalition for Education, said in a statement to the outlet.
In response, the NAACP has pointed to data showing companies in the top quartile for ethnic and cultural diversity are 36% more profitable than those in the bottom quartile.
"His appalling executive order will only worsen America's racial hierarchy and benefit the oligarch class. This executive order threatens public services that benefit all Americans," NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a press release.
Yet, the reality for federal workers paints a more complicated picture. Many employees have described the directive as an intimidation tactic.
"It feels like calculated chaos," said one HHS employee, who spoke to BBC anonymously.
The confusion extends beyond government offices. At the HHS, where research grants play a critical role in global scientific advancement, staff worry about the ripple effects of the DEI ban.
There is fear that grants promoting opportunities for minority scientists might now be in jeopardy. Hiring practices and program directives have reached a standstill as departments await further clarity.
A Food and Drug Administration employee who did not receive the email said that while DEI activities have been paused, leadership has encouraged staff to maintain focus on their daily tasks.
The White House has not commented on the directive, but the wave of executive orders driving these policies reflects broader strategy. These include a federal hiring freeze, a push to end remote work and attempts to reclassify civil servants to make them easier to fire.
For now, federal workers remain in limbo.
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