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Several federal agencies are urging employees to reconsider their decisions to leave government positions or are mandating that those designated for termination return to work. This move by the Trump administration aims to prevent significant disruptions in essential government operations.
For instance, the Agriculture Department is bracing for reduced functionality in critical areas like avian influenza response, prompting requests from leadership for employees to reverse any decisions to resign and rejoin the workforce. The Health and Human Services (HHS) Department has also reached out to recently laid-off employees, asking them to report back to work, despite indicating that their layoffs would still occur eventually. This shift in policy follows earlier efforts where agencies provided multiple incentives for employees to voluntarily leave federal service, even conducting layoffs in certain cases.
Recently, the Agriculture Department communicated with staff in the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), requesting those who had opted for the Deferred Resignation Program—allowing them to remain on paid leave until their departure by September 30—to reconsider their choices. Approximately 16,000 employees opted into this program after a second acceptance window opened. Particularly, areas within APHIS that are crucial for managing the ongoing bird flu outbreak have been significantly affected.
The agency is strategizing contingency plans, which may involve reallocating personnel from other USDA divisions, reprioritizing initiatives, and halting programs deemed no longer feasible, as shared by an employee engaged in these discussions.
If those who opted into the deferred resignation proceed, APHIS anticipates delays in vital services, affecting crop insurance payments for farmers dealing with disease-related losses, payment to poultry farmers impacted by bird flu outbreaks, and various veterinary product licensing that manages disease diagnosis and treatment. Operations at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories are also poised to be impacted.
The USDA’s National Animal Health Laboratory Network—a significant entity providing disease surveillance and diagnostics—has already seen a 50% reduction in staff responsible for quality assurance and proficiency tests nationwide, while its Veterinary Services office is set to lose nearly a quarter of its workforce.
Significant changes recently took place as APHIS ceased signing new agreements for those participating in the DRP and reached out to numerous employees to evaluate their decisions. Biologists, Plant Protection Quarantine staff, and veterinary medical officers were contacted, with the exception of employees in the Washington, D.C., area. The USDA’s Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration assured employees that they would not face layoffs anticipated to affect USDA widely in the coming weeks.
The agency emphasized the importance of employees in essential roles, stating that their work remains critical to APHIS and the USDA, as noted in an email obtained by Government Executive. The message conveyed that while staffing levels may decline in other areas and some APHIS operations might be restructured as part of workforce optimization plans, the affects on mission-critical positions would be minimized.
Employees categorized as “front-line” or those working at labs and field-based locations were assured their positions would remain secure. Moreover, APHIS is currently formulating plans to ensure that vital staffing levels are sustained to uphold its core functions. Employees who had previously agreed to the program still have the option to retract their decision, according to agency communication.
The abrupt change in strategy marks a stark departure from the USDA’s previous messaging. During the period the DRP was open, many staff received multiple emails urging them to accept the offer, and departmental leaders promoted the initiative actively in meetings and town halls.
“This situation is chaotic,” voiced one APHIS employee, expressing concern about the sudden shift in directives.
USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins’ office was reportedly alerted to the potential consequences of staffing cuts on operational efficiency as these incentives were rolled out. Currently, APHIS does not intend to obstruct any employee with a signed agreement from commencing their leave on May 1, as confirmed by an informed employee.
Another employee from a separate USDA division overseeing the Farm Services Agency noted inquiries from leadership regarding the impacts of staffing reductions in that sector. Feedback indicated that operational delays and work stoppages could result from these cuts, emphasizing that such questions should have been posed before implementing changes.
Essential personnel only are currently functioning in those agencies, a model that can only be maintained for a limited duration. “The problem with an essential-only staff is that it relies heavily on individual team members,” stated the employee. “If one of those individuals is unavailable, it creates significant challenges.”
Unexpected Reversals at HHS
In a similar vein, HHS is asking employees already notified of their layoffs to return to work indefinitely. Some affected employees will be required to work beyond the originally scheduled termination date in June while still facing ultimate separation.
This retention of impacted staff is deemed necessary to manage the ongoing workload that has arisen from workforce changes. Many laid-off human resources personnel have been called back to assist with processing these changes, along with acquisition staff. Reports have indicated that HHS has also recalled staff in public records and travel coordination roles, making it clear that their positions would eventually be eliminated.
HHS workers have been instructed to be on hand for extended periods to transfer knowledge and finalize projects, yet they remain subject to future layoffs, as detailed by a worker familiar with the situation. Another employee mentioned that the recalls were due to specific expertise needed during this tumultuous period.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. acknowledged shortly after layoffs affected 10,000 employees that some cuts were made in error, suggesting that about a quarter of those impacted would be reinstated. However, it seems that the reinstatement process has not occurred on the scale promised by Kennedy.
At the National Institutes of Health, some employees are experiencing overwhelming workloads due to a drastically reduced workforce. Others find themselves in a situation where they have little to do as their job responsibilities have been largely eliminated.
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