Thousands of employees fired this week from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and US public health agencies may have to continue working temporarily for two months, the department said Thursday.
The department began mass mass layoffs on Tuesday at high level health agencies, such as FDA, CDC and the National Health Institute, with the aim of dismissing 10,000 employees as part of a broader plan by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk to reduce the federal government and cut spending.
Employees said they received “strength reduction” warnings that they said they were being placed on administrative license from April 1 and until June 2. Some employees of the United States Food and Medicines Agency (FDA, in the English acronym) were instructed to keep their computers at work.
Health agency sources said mass layoffs had already begun to affect everything from response to aviary flu to medication supervision.
“All employees affected by reducing the workforce can be asked to work temporarily until their government service ends on June 2,” said HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon.
“This decision is focused on ensuring that the transition is as perfect as possible, minimizing any interruption in the mission and operations of the agency. HHS totally supports this approach, which aims to maintain public health services while managing the process of reorganization effectively.”
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FDA officials are being asked to identify specific employees who may continue to work during this period, the Washington Post said, citing an email obtained.
Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced last week a plan to reformulate health agencies, including the resignation of 3,500 people at FDA, 2,400 at the disease Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 1,200 at NIH and 300 at the Medical and Medicid Services Center.
Cuts and about 10,000 recent volunteer departures will reduce the number of full -time HHS employees from 82,000 to 62,000, Kennedy said.