HHS Offers $25,000 Buyouts to Downsize Workforce
The Trump administration continues federal workforce reductions, targeting 80,000 Health and Human Services employees with voluntary separation incentives.
- Health and Human Services employees were offered voluntary buyouts of up to $25,000, with a deadline to respond by March 14.
- The buyouts are part of the Trump administration's broader efforts to significantly reduce the federal workforce through layoffs and financial incentives.
- HHS oversees key agencies like the CDC, FDA, and NIH, raising concerns about the impact of workforce cuts on public health challenges, including a measles outbreak and bird flu response.
- Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has expressed intentions to reshape the department, focusing on removing employees he believes are not aligned with public health priorities.
- The initiative is led by the Department of Government Efficiency, headed by Elon Musk, which has been tasked with implementing widespread federal workforce reductions.