President Biden has signed a new executive order aimed at removing the multiple workplace barriers faced by US federal employees from disadvantaged communities, with the aspiration of turning government administration into a “model” for diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility [DEIA].
The order calls on federal departments and agencies – collectively the largest employer in the US – to put in place new initiatives around DEIA and to report on their progress annually. Biden says his goal is to “cultivate a workforce that draws from the full diversity of the Nation”.