The Department of Commerce (DOC) is apparently coercing its employees to espouse Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) ideology and incorporate it into their work.
A memorandum was released by the DOC on October 16 detailing ways in which DEI is a necessary facet of work for DOC employees and how to incorporate it into their daily work routine.
“[T]hese duties are of such importance that acceptable performance in these activities are required for acceptable performance in the position,” the memorandum says of activities related to DEI, suggesting that failure to accept and promote DEI ideology will hurt an employee’s performance review.
The memorandum lays out eight ways in which employees of the DOC might be expected to actively promote and engage in DEI while on the job. These include taking the opportunity to “communicate the importance of DEIA efforts and provide tools and resources that demonstrate support for these initiatives” and to “implement policies, programs, and a work environment that promote diversity and inclusion.”
The memorandum further denotes ways to promote DEI practices through the department’s work. The memo instructs DOC employees to “Actively perform focused outreach to underserved communities to attract, recruit, and retain a diverse workforce” and to “promote a diverse and inclusive organizational culture through outreach efforts targeted to increase underrepresented student and graduate applicants.”
Furthermore, the memorandum directs DOC members to “equitably deliver economic programs and services to underserved communities.” Of course, the document does not define what exactly constitutes an underserved community.
In short, not only are government officials giving support to DEI-focused policies, but they are also actually incorporating them, in writing, into their departments’ daily activities.