Biden State Dept Promotions Contingent on DEI

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The U.S. Department of State has implemented a finalized policy making promotions contingent on employees‘ ability to document their active engagement in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) practices. Federal agencies, like the State Department, were required to update employment and promotion standards following President Joe Biden’s Executive Order 13985, which “established that affirmatively advancing equity, civil rights, racial justice, and equal opportunity is the responsibility of the whole of our Government.”

“We made the change that if you wanted to be considered for promotion at the Department of State, you must be able to document what you are doing to support diversity, equity and inclusion, and accessibility. This is how you are judged for promotion,” Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley explained during a speech at the City Club Forum in April last year.

Abercrombie-Winstanley, the former ambassador to Malta, was serving as the State Department‘s chief diversity and inclusion officer when the executive order was issued and was tasked with laying the groundwork for the new employment policy.

She added: “So that means my allies who are not female or minority are also interested in being able to show ‘I’m doing good work on this.' ”When the Department of State first announced the finalized DEI rule for public review, they stated: “Establishing the advancement of [DEI] as an element for all employees as part of their job performance criteria, career advancement opportunities, and senior performance pay.”

The policy change is, however, just one component of a broader shift to align employment procedures with the State Department’s “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Strategic Plan 2022 – 2026.”