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A Microsoft team leader reportedly wrote that “true systems-change work” tied to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) was no longer “business critical” as it had been in 2020. The comment appeared in an internal email described by IT Pro, which said Microsoft had eliminated a DEI team at the start of July 2024. Microsoft responded that its diversity and inclusion commitments remained unchanged. The reported email was not an official company statement, and the number of roles affected was unclear.
What did the reported Microsoft email say?
IT Pro reported on July 16, 2024, that a Microsoft team leader criticized the elimination of a DEI team in an email sent to thousands of employees. The article attributed its account of the internal documents to Business Insider. It quoted the team leader as writing: “True systems-change work associated with DEI programs everywhere are no longer business critical or smart as they were in 2020.”
The quotation is the reported wording of one team leader, not a Microsoft announcement that all diversity work had ended. IT Pro did not name the sender in the passage reviewed, and the complete email and underlying documents were not available there. The article also said the total number of roles removed was unclear.
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What did Microsoft say about its commitments?
In response to IT Pro, Microsoft senior communications director Jeff Jones said: “Our D&I commitments remain unchanged. Our focus on diversity and inclusion is unwavering and we are holding firm on our expectations, prioritizing accountability, and continuing to focus on this work.” That is the company’s stated position; it does not clarify how the reported staffing change affected resources or establish which teams or programs were involved.
What did Microsoft’s 2024 report disclose?
Microsoft’s 2024 Global Diversity & Inclusion Report said diversity and inclusion continued to be critical to the company’s mission. It also reported workforce representation, survey results, pay analyses and descriptions of company programs. The figures below are Microsoft-reported and use the report’s stated definitions and scope; they do not independently establish the impact of any particular program or explain the reported team change.
| Measure | Microsoft-reported 2024 figure | Reported change |
|---|---|---|
| Employees who agreed or strongly agreed that Microsoft is diverse and inclusive | 81.2% in the 2024 survey | Up 2.3 percentage points from 78.9% in 2023 |
| Women in Microsoft’s global core workforce | 31.6% | Up 0.4 percentage points year over year |
| Black and African American representation in the United States | 6.6% | Down 0.1 percentage point year over year |
| Hispanic and Latinx representation in the United States | 8.0% | Up 0.1 percentage point year over year |
| Women in global technical roles | 27.2% | Up 0.5 percentage points year over year |
| Pay-equity analysis | As of September 2024, Microsoft said its analysis showed pay equity for each comparison it shared | Not stated |
What changed in Microsoft’s D&I reporting in 2025?
ESG Dive reported on November 25, 2025, that Microsoft would not publish an updated traditional annual D&I report for 2025. Chief Communications Officer Frank Shaw said the company would instead use stories, insights and videos to show progress in formats it considered more dynamic and accessible. Shaw also said the company’s mission and commitment to its culture and values remained unchanged.
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This describes a change in reporting format. By itself, it does not establish whether particular programs continued, changed or ended, and it does not resolve the staffing questions raised by the 2024 report.
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What is established—and what remains unclear?
- Established by the 2024 report: IT Pro said Microsoft eliminated a DEI team at the start of July 2024 and quoted a team leader’s criticism of the change; it also reported that Microsoft said its commitments were unchanged.
- Not established by the available account: the sender’s identity, the full context of the email, the exact number of affected roles, and the current status of every related program.
- Evidence of public commitments, not program impact: Microsoft’s 2024 report and workforce figures document what the company disclosed, but do not independently evaluate the specific team or its effectiveness.
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