The Trump administration is continuing its plan to significantly reduce the federal workforce. Agencies are saying goodbye to employees who have voluntarily chosen to resign early in exchange for pay and benefits until September.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is actively seeking to fill several newly vacant positions, as revealed in communications reviewed by NPR. On Thursday, following the departure of many employees who accepted the resignation offer, APHIS employees received an email announcing “lateral transfer opportunities.” Employees were invited to apply for 73 critical positions by the upcoming Tuesday.
The vacancies include roles for scientists, budget analysts, technicians, inspectors, and a veterinarian, who are needed to support the agency’s mission of safeguarding plants, animals, and natural resources.
The quick posting of these open positions has led to frustration among those who resigned fearing their jobs would be cut. An APHIS employee who accepted the resignation offer expressed confusion over the agency’s decision to advertise their position so soon after they left.
As the government fills these vacant roles, it will incur the cost of two salary packages for each position until September, covering both the outgoing employee and their replacement. The fate of roles vacated by employees who move to new openings is unclear.
It is also uncertain if all 73 open roles were previously held by those who accepted the resignation. APHIS has approval to fill a limited number of vital positions, considering recent and forthcoming staff reductions. The USDA did not provide detailed answers when asked about their decision-making process regarding resignation incentives and funding replacements, choosing instead to issue a statement emphasizing a focus on returning to a customer service-oriented approach while maintaining essential functions.
Despite the option for voluntary resignation, some APHIS employees chose to leave due to perceived pressure and fears of impending layoffs. An employee, who had been with the agency for eight years and was involved in ensuring the legal and safe entry of agricultural commodities into the U.S., described experiencing intense pressure to accept the offer amid uncertainty over the security of mission-critical roles.
Recent executive orders and restructuring announcements have contributed to the atmosphere of uncertainty, including cuts in other departments and changes in collective bargaining rights affecting federal employees, including those at APHIS.
Even before these developments, there was concern about staffing reductions within APHIS. Some employees were invited to reconsider their resignation, being assured that essential roles would not be affected. However, not everyone received such offers, leaving some employees feeling their critical contributions were overlooked.
Armando Rosario-Lebron, the eastern regional vice president of the union, stated that while they support lateral moves for workforce balance, the timing of these opportunities, immediately after employees left and without union briefing, was objectionable. Employees have a deadline of May 6 to apply for these new positions, with reassignments effective from May 18.
