Federal health care employment faces a severe blow as the Trump administration set its plan into motion to terminate thousands of jobs. This move predominantly impacts those workers who were recruited within the last two years from various public health and science agencies. Senior authorities were briefed in today’s round of gatherings that roughly 5,200 probationary staff, recent appointees across the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, would be dismissed by day’s end.
The CDC, based in Atlanta, was notified of a cut of approximately 1,300 employees. While the exact numbers at the NIH remain uncertain, exceptions will be made for certain probationary employees. Although these employees are to receive a month’s paid leave, they will be denied access to work systems by the end of the day, a stunning example of the administration’s ruthlessness.
Unwilling to stop at the dismissal of probationary workers, the administration also infringed upon the ranks of contract workers at the CDC and other Health and Human Services agencies. Throughout the past week, these contract workers discovered that their jobs had been abruptly terminated, including several dozen at the Vaccine Research Center, located within the NIH. Clearly, such a practice creates more harm than help by eliminating experienced staff.
Without any regard for the vital efforts these workers contribute, many roles performed by contract staff at these agencies had been upended. Moreover, it was indicated that further changes were looming, especially targeting the apex of these organizations, again illustrating the administration’s unabashed targeting of institutional stability.
This drastic decision to expunge probationary employees is consistent with the deep cuts being forced upon the government’s workforce. It seems the Trump administration is motivated by a disturbing zeal for large-scale layoffs. The administration’s actions demonstrate a preference for destructive strategies, a blatant disregard of workers’ dignity and security.
Fundamentally, the point of a job is to secure one’s livelihood, and the prospect of that being taken away reveals how mercilessly the administration operates. This is evident in the calculated encouragement for federal workers to voluntarily step down, using techniques such as attractive buyout offers, return-to-work orders, and the ominous threat of limited legal securities.
The new Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who had only been confirmed on Thursday, seems to be undeterred by the chaos he is causing. He ambitiously promised a complete overhaul of federal health agencies even assuming his role. This involved the eradication of ‘entire departments’ at the FDA and the sacking of 600 staff at the NIH.
Kennedy feigned a modicum of respect for the ground-level workers but made his intention clear to rid hastily of those he believed to have made wrong decisions. This practice of subjective justice, where one man decides the fate of thousands, shows the administration’s disregard towards meritocracy and justice. It is devastating to see the workforce, filled with dedicated public servants, being treated this way.
Expert opinions warning against mass terminations or resignations due to the consequent severe disruption of work within agencies like the FDA have been disregarded. Sadly, the administration appears uninterested in the potential damage this could cause to these critical institutions. Their actions reflect a lack of foresight and consideration for the negative impacts the dismissals could have.
Even before Kennedy’s confirmation, numerous senior administrators had already taken initiative to step down from their roles — clear evidence of the imminent turmoil predicted within these agencies. Among them were top officials from the NIH who opted for an early departure. It seems that a sense of fear, uncertainty, and lack of faith in the new transition is echoed across the board.
Concern rises beyond the prospect of mass departures. Policies such as halting grant reviews and severe reduction in overhead research funds raise eyebrows of stakeholders. The fears of an extensive brain drain across U.S. academia due to this hasty and ill-planned policy implementation is apparent, indicating a wider disruption beyond these federal agencies.
These reckless decisions put at risk a significant portion of the over 80,000-employee workforce of HHS. This includes the more than 18,000 staff at the NIH, an institution with an annual budget of $47 billion, which carries out essential research on critical health issues such as cancer, Alzheimer’s, infectious diseases, and rare ailments.
Also affected is the CDC, with about 13,000 workers operating on a budget of $9.2 billion, tasked with addressing outbreaks and ensuring public health protections. One has to question the logic behind jeopardizing such an important institution tasked with safeguarding public health, especially in these challenging times.