RIFs
Trump’s federal workforce changes cost the economy more than $165.6B, analysis finds
The Partnership for Public Service report includes the costs of the deferred resignation program, severance pay for laid-off civil servants and federal employees who were on paid administrative leave while their firings were challenged in court.
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Ex-VOA employees challenge last year’s buyout and retirement offers
Four former U.S. Agency for Global Media employees seek class certification from the Merit Systems Protection Board, arguing that the March invalidation of Kari Lake’s actions atop the agency should also apply to agreements reached under the Deferred Resignation Program and other buyout authorities.
Interior incentivizes more staff departures after already cutting 20% of its workforce
The department becomes the first to offer a widespread "deferred resignation" this year.
Consumer watchdog agency asks court for permission to slash its workforce by two-thirds
The argument that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau can carry out its duties with one-third the staff is "laughable," a union official said.
A federal office designed to stave off the next financial crisis is being dismantled by the Trump administration
Upcoming layoffs at the Treasury Department agency will result in an overall workforce reduction of 64%.
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The Trump administration paid these employees not to work for more than a year. It just called them back
Some employees sidelined for their diversity and inclusion jobs received a one year, stress-ridden sabbatical, but are now returning to similar jobs.
Performance prioritized over seniority in proposed RIF rule, OSC says
COMMENTARY | The Office of Special Counsel says proposed reduction-in-force changes would give more weight to employee performance and offers its own perspective on how agencies might apply the new rules.
Education Department staff cuts have hurt service rather than streamlined bureaucracy, say opponents on 1-year mark of RIFs
Lawmakers and education advocates at Wednesday’s press conference also emphasized that the department has hired back some employees, and Congress rejected many proposed funding reductions at Education.
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OPM proposes new layoff rules emphasizing performance and reducing employee protections
Since a draft of the new policy began circulating last fall, federal regulators expanded those excluded from agency reduction in force rules to include all career federal workers in the government’s excepted service.
Report: Nearly 95k science employees left government as Trump downsized agency workforces
The Trump administration also has cut spending on science contracts and grants.
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‘They are America’: Photographer spotlights civil servants who have lost their jobs under Trump
Retired lawyer Allan Dinkoff has documented 65 ex-feds for his photography project “Targeted: Portraits of Civil Servants Under Trump.”
Judiciary requests control over courthouse property management partially due to job cuts at GSA
The General Services Administration, which manages government property, said in a statement that the “American taxpayer is best served by the judiciary focusing on the rule of law while GSA continues to focus on the federal real estate portfolio.”
Fate of CFPB employees hang in the balance as judges consider agency's future
The Trump administration is seeking authority to lay off nearly all employees at the consumer watchdog.
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The Trump administration wants to recruit more Peace Corps volunteers with fewer agency personnel, puzzling Democratic lawmakers
Twenty-one members of Congress urged the Peace Corps to pause workforce layoffs and restructuring until officials can show that the agency will still be able to fulfill required activities and protect volunteers who are serving internationally.
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‘My dream job has turned into a nightmare’: Ex-feds and public service experts testify to Congress on how to rebuild government post-Trump
Some recommendations that several Democratic lawmakers and advocates brought up included overturning Schedule Policy/Career, restoring collective bargaining rights for the federal workforce and increasing congressional oversight.
Former feds turn to tailored job search resources to continue service-oriented work
Several nonprofits and universities are providing support to civil servants in search of new roles.
Congress paused all federal layoffs for 3 months. That's set to change this week
A ban on agency RIFs is scheduled to be lifted after Feb. 13.
Education Department spent up to $38M paying employees not to work before reinstating them, watchdog reports
The Government Accountability Office also reported that the caseload for the department’s Office for Civil Rights increased by an average of 98 cases per week during part of the time that these staffers were on paid leave.
Lawsuit seeks to stop FEMA from cutting its workforce in half
Staff reductions at the disaster agency were put on hold last week, as it faced the recent winter storm.
Some FEMA employee layoffs put on hold, while reform council renewed
The pause in reducing Cadre of On-Call Response and Recovery (CORE) employees comes as the U.S. faces a winter storm.
Laid off HHS employees win judge approval to seek class action suit
Employees say they are entitled to financial compensation for the errors HHS made when trying to force them out.
