VA dismisses more than 1,000 employees in line with Trump's sweeping layoffs
The Trump administration on Thursday instructed agencies to lay off most probationary workers who have not secured civil service protection, a move that could potentially impact hundreds of thousands of people, according to the Associated Press.
The move regarding probationary workers, who generally have been working less than one year on the job, came from the Office of Personnel Management, the outlet reported, which said that the notification was confirmed by an individual familiar with the issue.
Fox News Digital reached out to OPM for comment on Friday morning but did not receive a response in time for publication.
Even the OPM itself is reportedly being impacted.
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President Donald Trump during an executive order signing in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025 (Francis Chung/Politico/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Dozens of probationary workers at OPM were informed during a Thursday group call that they were being let go, and were directed to vacate the building within a half-hour, the AP reported, citing another individual who spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Department of Veterans Affairs on Thursday announced the dismissal of more than 1,000 employees as workers throughout the nation's vast government face mass layoffs while the Trump administration strives to shrink the size of the federal workforce.
The mass layoffs come as Trump, aided by Elon Musk — who the president tapped to spearhead DOGE — seeks to stamp out government waste, fraud and abuse.
"Agency Heads shall promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force (RIFs), consistent with applicable law, and to separate from Federal service temporary employees and reemployed annuitants working in areas that will likely be subject to the RIFs," a recent Trump executive order declared.
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Probationary workers at entities including the U.S. Forest Service, Energy Department and OPM were ousted on Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing federal worker union staff and people familiar with the issue. Other individuals were let go earlier this week, the outlet added.
The elimination of probationary workers started earlier this week and has impacted Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Education Department workers, according to the AP. The outlet indicated that according to a union that represents agency workers, at least 39 people were dismissed from the Department of Education on Wednesday.
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A metal plaque on the facade of the Department of Veterans Affairs building in Washington, D.C. (Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
The VA said its move to dismiss over 1,000 workers will save the department more than $98 million per year, allowing them to spend those resources on healthcare, benefits and services for veterans.
These efforts are part of the VA’s plan to refocus on its core mission: providing the best possible care and benefits to Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors, according to a statement from the VA.
"At VA, we are focused on saving money so it can be better spent on Veteran care. We thank these employees for their service to VA. This was a tough decision, but ultimately, it’s the right call to better support the Veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors the department exists to serve," said VA Secretary Doug Collins.
Former Representative Doug Collins, R-Ga., U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Veterans Affairs, testifies before a Senate Veterans Affairs committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., on Jan. 21, 2025. (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)
The VA says they currently have more than 43,000 probationary employees across the department, although a vast majority of those employees are exempt from personnel actions due to serving in mission-critical positions.
Those exempted are also in roles that provide supporting benefits and services for VA beneficiaries or are covered under a collective bargaining agreement.
"To be perfectly clear: these moves will not negatively impact VA health care, benefits or beneficiaries. In the coming weeks and months, VA will be announcing plans to put these resources to work helping Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors," Collins added.
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs headquarters as seen in 2014 in Washington, D.C. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The dismissals are effective immediately according to the VA and employees have been notified.
Additional measures have been put in place to ensure VA services are not impacted and an assigned representative in each chain of command can request exemptions.
