Thousands of probationary workers at the United States’ top health agencies were terminated starting February 13, with the cuts extending into the Valentine’s Day weekend. The dismissals began at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and soon spread to divisions within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
These layoffs also include the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). By the end of the weekend, up to 5,200 employees had been let go.
The CDC alone terminated 1,300 probationary staff, who were given four weeks of administrative leave. Many of these employees were part of the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service division, a critical unit for disease surveillance.
The mass firings prompted immediate backlash. Eight former Biden administration HHS leaders criticised the dismissals, expressing concern for the loss of experienced professionals vital to public health. Social- media posts from affected employees highlighted the chaos and lack of clear communication surrounding the terminations.
As per the HHS, cost-cutting and workforce streamlining were the reasons behind the layoffs, claiming the measures would save over $600 million.
Furthermore, at the Indian Health Service (IHS), 950 employees initially slated for termination had their jobs reinstated after intervention from HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He cited chronic underfunding and high rates of chronic disease in Native American communities as reasons for prioritising IHS staffing.
Legal challenges to the firings quickly emerged. Democracy Forward, a legal advocacy group, accused the administration of unfairly targeting probationary workers ignoring their performance. Federal unions also filed lawsuits, arguing that the dismissals circumvented merit-based civil service protections.
The fallout is expected to continue, with ongoing lawsuits and internal government debates likely to shape the future of federal health agency staffing.
