Since January 2018, significant changes in the employment status have occurred for many federal employees. There are reports of terminations, layoffs and administrative leaves. This was in response to President Trump’s establishment of the Department of Government Efficiency under Elon Musk. DOGE has the stated aim of streamlining federal employees and cutting government expenditure.
Understand the impact of federal workforce reductions
DOGE is the White House taskforce that President Trump has created to help reduce government costs. Elon Musk’s initiative has led to significant reductions in the workforce across federal agencies. These cuts, both in size and scope, have been criticized. Concerns were raised over the impact on dedicated government workers as well as possible long-term effects for government operation.
These actions are seen by critics, primarily Democrats, as an abuse of the executive’s authority and unfairly affect federal employees who have served for many years. Some Republican legislators have voiced their concerns about the criteria for mass terminations, and possible negative effects. Unions and non-profits that represent the terminated workers have filed legal challenges against the administration, underlining the controversial nature of this workforce change.
The federal workforce has been affected by these reductions in a number of states.
The Federal Workforce: Key Factors
Communication surrounding terminations and laid-offs was remarkably swift. Employees were often informed via email of the end date. Many workers who were affected have stated that they did not receive any warning and their terminations weren’t based upon performance. Before these layoffs took place, 75,000 federal employees had accepted buyouts or left their posts voluntarily.
The initial termination attempts were focused on probationary employees. The President directed the federal agencies to evaluate approximately 220,000 employees who are on probation, usually serving terms of one or two years, in order to determine candidates for termination. The federal agencies were asked to assess not just recent hires, but also employees with long tenure who have recently moved into new roles, agencies or promoted. The government has also been reported to have laid off career workers without notice.
Effects of Federal Workforce Reductions by Agency
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NOAA has been hit with significant reductions in staffing, just ahead of Atlantic hurricane season. NOAA plays a vital role for storm monitoring, ensuring the safety of citizens through its National Weather Service (NWS) and National Hurricane Center. Researchers with years of experience in the field have lost their posts as well. NOAA’s Ocean Acidification Program was also affected, which studies the impacts of seawater changes on marine life, fisheries and other organisms.
Sarah Cooley commented about the cuts. She said, “The strategy seems to be slashing and burning as much as possible.” Nobody can claim that the aim is efficiency.
U.S. Agency for International Development
USAID‘s reputation has been questioned, especially after Elon Musk expressed his criticism. The website of the USAID agency was down during the Trump Administration and many foreign contracts were terminated. The Trump administration has announced the removal of over 2,000 staff positions, and most have been placed on administrative leaves. These changes will have a significant impact on U.S. Foreign Policy, given USAID’s role as a global organization that addresses epidemics, insecurity in food, and funding for education.
Over 90% of USAID foreign aid contracts could be affected by cuts. This would have a negative impact on international education, global health programs and food security.
Department of Veterans Affairs
In mid-February the Department of Veterans Affairs fired over 1,000 staff, affecting veterans’ affairs personnel in all systems.
Department of Defense
The Department of Defense, under Secretary Pete Hegseth terminated employees who were not in their probationary period, such as Judge Advocates General for the U.S. Army Navy and Air Force and Charles Q., a four-star Air Force general. Brown Jr. was the Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The DOD released a statement on February 21 stating that 5,400 probationary workers would be “released”. This was part of an effort to “reduce the Department’s civilian workforce by 5 to 8 percent to create efficiencies, refocus it back to the president’s priorities, and restore readiness within the Force.” The DOD’s statements reveal the intent and effect of its policy.
U.S. Forest Service (USFS)
USFS was also affected. The spokesperson confirmed, “Released Employees were on probation, and many were compensated with temporary IRA funds.”
Randy Moore announced that he was retiring after 45 years. Addressing the shake-up of the department, Moore explained how decisions are being taken at a much higher level, and with very little notice.
National Park Service
National Park Service staff reductions are similar to those experienced by the National Park Service.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)
Estimations indicate that around 200 CFPB workers were let go, most of them not on probation. One team was investigating the financial products provided by large tech companies. An order from a federal judge halted terminations of CFPB employees, unless they were related to misconduct or performance. He also banned data destruction and removal.
Internal Revenue Service
IRS announces closure of many offices throughout the United States.
Health and Human Services
HHS, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Institutes of Health have cut about 2,000 staff.
Department of Education
According to the Associated Press, almost 40 people have been terminated by the Department of Education.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
In mid-February, approximately 400 FAA workers were laid off. Department of Transportation stated that key safety roles had been protected. Those laid off included probationary staff, who represented less than 1 percent of FAA’s over 45,000 employees.
Department of Energy
According to estimates, between 1200 and 2000 employees were cut by the Department of Energy. The initial decision of terminating over 300 nuclear weapons employees was reversed quickly.
Department of Homeland Security
DHS confirmed that the agency had laid off 405 workers in mid-February. The majority of the layoffs were at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. This reduction of workforce raises questions about the department’s readiness to respond in case of an emergency, whether it is man-made or a national one.
Department of Housing and Urban Development
HUD laid off 780 workers, but documents indicate that up to 50% of the workforce may be affected, which could affect 4,000 positions.