Department of Labor Tells Employees to Report Anyone Prioritizing DEI | WIREDSkip to main contentMenuSECURITYPOLITICSTHE BIG STORYBUSINESSSCIENCECULTUREREVIEWSMenuAccountAccountNewslettersSecurityPoliticsThe Big StoryBusinessScienceCultureReviewsChevronMoreExpandThe Big InterviewMagazineEventsWIRED InsiderWIRED ConsultingNewslettersPodcastsVideoLivestreamsMerchSearchSearchVittoria ElliottPoliticsMay 27, 2026 6:00 AMDepartment of Labor Tells Employees to Report Anyone Prioritizing DEIAn email reminds workers they can report behavior that predates Donald Trump’s second inauguration. One employee tells WIRED it felt like a “reminder to narc on your coworkers.”Photograph: Celal Gunes/Anadolu/Getty ImagesCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyLate last week, employees at the Department of Labor received a long email strongly urging them to file whistleblower complaints and report instances of “diversity, equity, and inclusion”-related discrimination or retaliation. In short, employees were told to alert the government of DEI compliance in any way.The email, sent on Friday and viewed by WIRED, felt like it was a “reminder to narc on your coworkers for doing DEI,” says a DOL employee who requested anonymity for fear of retaliation. The notice was titled “Reporting DEI-Related Discrimination, Retaliation, and Related Whistleblower Disclosures” and came from a “DOL Guidance and Information” email account. It was not signed by any particular member of DOL leadership.“DEI-related discrimination occurs when any employment action (hiring, promotion, training access, mentoring, assignments, awards, etc.) is motivated in whole or in part by an employee’s or applicant’s race, color, sex, national origin, religion, or other protected characteristics,” states the email. Further details about what exactly constitutes “DEI-related discrimination” included “restricting networking events or professional development to specific racial, sex, or ethnic groups”; “awarding recognition, compensation, or opportunities based in part on contribution to ‘diversity goals’ rather than metrics”; and “any preference or disparate treatment justified by ‘diversity’ or ‘equity.’”The email also reminds employees that the statute of limitations for reporting is three years, which would in theory allow employees to report events from before President Donald Trump took office in January 2025. Instructions about how to file a whistleblower report with the Office of Special Counsel were also included in the email.The DOL did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Since the beginning of Trump’s second term, his administration has taken aim at DEI initiatives. In January 2025, Trump signed an executive order titled “Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity,” ordering agencies to end all DEI initiatives and actions. Shortly after, federal employees received emails asking them to report colleagues whose jobs related to DEI, threatening “adverse consequences” if they didn’t.The DOL employees who spoke to WIRED say they had no idea why the email was sent now, so long after the initial executive order. “It’s pure witch-hunt territory–very dangerous and could be easily abused. Many of us had DEI activities in our performance standards under the previous administration. This would make those a punishable offense,” says a second DOL employee who also requested anonymity. “Someone with an axe to grind could go back and say, ‘This person did a DEI training three years ago. This was discriminatory.’ And you’d get in trouble for basically doing your job. I think they’re trying to institute a culture of fear.”Earlier this month, the DOL quietly installed Kenneth Wolfe, the head of the agency’s faith office, to lead the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), which is tasked with ensuring federal contractors abide by anti-discrimination laws. According to the 2027 budget for the DOL, the OFCCP will be phased out and eventually absorbed into a new Office of Civil Rights. As head of the DOL faith center, Wolfe organized a monthly worship service that employees told WIRED at the time made them feel uncomfortable.CommentsBack to topTriangleYou Might Also LikeHow to find us: Add WIRED.com to your preferred sources in GoogleHow the Canvas hack threatened thousands of schoolsBig Story: I've covered robots for years—this one is eerily lifelikeOrbs, saucers, and flashes on the moon—here’s what’s in the UFO filesTake our survey: What does “home” mean to you?Vittoria Elliott is a senior writer for WIRED, covering platforms and power. She was previously a reporter at Rest of World, where she covered disinformation and labor in markets outside the US and Western Europe. She has worked with The New Humanitarian, Al Jazeera, and ProPublica. She is a graduate ... 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The Department of Labor issued an email to employees strongly urging them to file whistleblower complaints and report instances of discrimination or retaliation related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). This communication, titled Reporting DEI-Related Discrimination, Retaliation, and Related Whistleblower Disclosures, instructed employees on how to alert the government regarding DEI compliance. The email defined DEI-related discrimination as any employment action, such as hiring, promotion, training access, or assignments, motivated in whole or in part by an employee’s or applicant’s race, color, sex, national origin, religion, or other protected characteristics. Specific examples provided included restricting professional development to certain groups, awarding recognition based on diversity goals rather than metrics, and any disparate treatment justified by diversity or equity considerations. Furthermore, the notice informed employees that the statute of limitations for filing such reports is three years, which theoretically allows for reporting events that occurred before President Donald Trump took office in January 2025, and it included instructions for filing reports with the Office of Special Counsel.

The timing and context of this directive are significant, as the email arose amidst efforts by the Trump administration to curtail DEI initiatives, including an executive order signed in January 2025 that ordered agencies to end all DEI activities and actions. Employees who discussed the email with reporters expressed apprehension, noting that the directive felt like a "reminder to narc on your coworkers for doing DEI." They perceived the action as potentially punitive, fearing that individuals with previous DEI activities under the prior administration could face repercussions, as past participation might be construed as a punishable offense. This atmosphere led employees to perceive the instruction as a potential "witch-hunt," raising concerns about abuse and fear of retaliation.

In response to this environment, the Department of Labor quietly moved to enhance its enforcement capabilities. Earlier this month, the agency installed Kenneth Wolfe, the head of the agency’s faith office, to lead the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP), an office responsible for ensuring federal contractors adhere to anti-discrimination laws. This move is part of a broader structural change, as the 2027 budget for the DOL plans to phase out the OFCCP and absorb its functions into a new Office of Civil Rights. This transition highlights an institutional shift in how the department addresses civil rights compliance and discrimination enforcement within the federal sector.