Indiana Governor Reinstates In-Person Work Mandate and Overhauls DEI Policies

Major Changes in Indiana's Work Policies

In a significant shift, Governor Mike Braun has signed an executive order mandating that all state employees return to in-person work by July 1. This move ends the pandemic-era remote work agreements that allowed over 10,500 state employees to work from home, logging more than 7.3 million hours under these arrangements. Governor Braun emphasized the importance of in-person collaboration to foster a more connected workforce.

Elimination of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Policies

In addition to the work mandate, another executive order eliminates all Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies from state government. This includes barring state support for DEI programs and the use of affirmative action in hiring processes. Instead, Braun plans to introduce MEI (Merit, Excellence, and Innovation) as a guiding principle, inspired by the Fourteenth Amendment and a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.

Additional Executive Orders

Governor Braun signed seven additional executive orders aimed at increasing government efficiency and transparency:

• EO 2025-11: Creation of a web page for active executive orders.
• EO 2025-12: Development of incentives for budget compliance.
• EO 2025-13: Establishment of performance metrics for state agencies.
• EO 2025-15: Review of job postings to prioritize skills over degrees.
• EO 2025-17: Mandate to reduce regulatory burdens by 25% by 2029.
• EO 2025-18: Evaluation of professional licensing requirements.
• EO 2025-19: Integration into a cloud-based computing framework for state vendors.

Braun stated, “It’s all what I campaigned on, to make sure government is leaner or efficient, better aligned with the needs of Hoosiers.” For a full list of executive orders, visit the official site.