HHS Layoffs Begin: Employees’ ID Badges Deactivated Amid Restructuring
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has initiated a significant round of layoffs as part of a broader restructuring effort, impacting various sectors including cancer research, opioid abuse analysis, and infectious disease expertise. Employees were abruptly informed of their termination when their ID badges ceased to function, a move described by many as 'humiliating and degrading.'
The layoffs, which have begun to take shape, are part of a strategic overhaul aimed at reallocating resources and focusing on new priorities within the agency. This restructuring has been met with criticism, especially from those affected, who were left without prior notice of their dismissal.
The decision comes amidst broader discussions on federal budget allocations and priorities, with some linking the layoffs to political influences, including comments from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on the need for government efficiency. The layoffs have also drawn attention to the city of Boston, where some of the impacted employees are based, highlighting the local impact of federal decisions.
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What federal health workers are being laid off?
The White House said last week that it planned to cut 3,500 full-time employees at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and 2,400 workers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Health workers began hearing as early as 5:00 EDT (10:00 BST) that they were being laid off on Tuesday.
How many people work at HHS?
In total, and including roughly 10,000 people who have left over the last few months through early retirement or deferred resignation programs, the overall staff at HHS will fall from 82,000 to around 62,000 -- or about a fourth of its workforce.
How many FDA layoffs?
HHS announced last week that it would cut 10,000 people, including around 3,500 FDA employees, or 19% of the agency. This account of the effects of the job cuts at FDA is based on conversations with more than two dozen sources inside and outside of FDA.
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