In an unprecedented move, the State Department initiated mass layoffs on Friday, impacting over 1,300 employees.
This restructuring resulted in many employees leaving their offices with personal items, such as small plants and old coffee mugs, reflecting decades of experience and specialized skills leaving the U.S. diplomatic corps.
The extensive overhaul of the federal agency has been planned for months, with the Trump administration notifying Congress in late May of impending job losses involving thousands of State Department staff.
However, the specifics regarding who would be laid off remained undisclosed until the abrupt notification day, leading to shock among various employees concerning their positions in the 15% cut to domestic agency staff.
Several career employees who received their termination notices reported being engaged in preparing critical materials just days before their layoffs.
“It’s so hard to work somewhere your entire life and then get treated this way,” expressed one veteran civil servant with over 30 years of service in the department.
The emotional ramifications of the sudden layoffs were apparent, as distraught employees were seen crying in hallways and the courtyard while surrendering their equipment, including laptops and diplomatic passports.
“The manner in which things were done … they were not done with dignity. They were not done respectfully. They were not done transparently,” commented Olga Bashbush, a seasoned foreign service officer whose career spanned more than two decades.
Ahead of the layoffs, a senior State Department official briefed journalists, asserting the reorganization was “individual agnostic.”
“This is the most complicated personnel reorganization that the federal government has ever undertaken,” the official stated.
The rationale behind the restructuring aimed to eliminate or consolidate functions rather than focusing on individual performances.
Concerns regarding the layoffs were voiced by Michael Duffin, a civil service employee since 2013.
Duffin had served as a policy adviser in the counterterrorism bureau, where he developed early interventions against white supremacy and violent extremism.
“No one at the State Department would disagree with the need for reform, but arbitrarily laying off people like me and others, irrespective of their performance, is not the right way to do it,” he stated during a rally outside the department after the layoffs were announced.
A general notice distributed among foreign service officers confirmed the reduction in force, stating the aim of streamlining domestic operations “to focus on diplomatic priorities.”
The notice further elaborated on the targeted nature of the headcount reductions, which were directed at non-core functions, duplicative offices, and areas where efficiencies could be gained.
In response to the layoffs, the State Department launched a dedicated website offering resources for affected employees, yet many expressed frustrations and confusion due to the sparse information provided.
“Yes, there was a congressional notification sent out, but the information that employees have received is literally nothing,” Bashbush remarked.
Laid-off foreign service officers will undergo administrative leave for 120 days, while the majority of civil servants will have a 60-day period before formal termination.
In an emotional gesture, employees who retained their positions participated in a tradition known as the “clap out,” honoring their colleagues who were laid off.
This gathering took place in the main lobby and continued outside, where attendees clapped and supported their affected colleagues for nearly two hours.
Bashbush expressed her gratitude, saying, “They clapped us out,” acknowledging the collective pride and solidarity felt among those left in the department.
Demonstrators echoed sentiments of appreciation for the departing diplomats, holding signs expressing gratitude for America’s diplomats.
The layoffs spurred significant concern regarding the impact on critical sectors of the State Department, particularly in areas focused on democracy, human rights, and labor.
One senior officer in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor (DRL) revealed the breadth of the disruption, sharing personal stories about colleagues facing critical life circumstances.
“That’s just on the personal side. I’m not even talking yet about the way this is going to disrupt foreign policy,” he highlighted.
The reorganization is set to notably reduce the DRL bureau, with remaining offices overseen by a new deputy assistant secretary for democracy and Western values.
A concerning aspect of the restructuring involves the elimination of specialized human rights positions tailored to various world regions.
“You can’t have a group of people that don’t know the region trying to make human rights policy for that specific region,” warned the DRL official, emphasizing the potential negative consequences on advocacy for human rights.
Enrique Roig, a former deputy assistant secretary in the DRL, voiced similar concerns regarding the erosion of human rights advocacy globally.
“It will allow authoritarians around the globe, both on the left and the right, to continue to abuse civic space, to jail and to lock up journalists and civic activists,” Roig asserted.
Additionally, a contingent of laid-off employees from the Office of Science and Technology Cooperation expressed their dismay, donning T-shirts reading, “Science is Diplomacy. Diplomacy is Science.”
As they exited the building, many teared up and embraced one another, lamenting the loss of their office, which was among over 300 offices facing elimination or consolidation.
A former foreign service officer described the loss of their office as a crucial deficit, stating, “What’s clear is that the Department of State doesn’t care about science and research.”
With pride in their scientific expertise, one individual remarked on the significance of their contributions to advancements in technology and research that benefit society.
“When it comes to supporting research, we have no expertise in this building right now due to the layoffs in our staff,” she stated, expressing concerns about the implications for the government’s scientific and technological capacity.
“Diplomacy is not a short-term gain. It’s a long-term gain,” another laid-off official succinctly captured the situation, highlighting the importance of fostering enduring connections with young leaders around the world.
As the wave of layoffs casts a long shadow over the State Department, many are left questioning the future of U.S. diplomacy amidst significant personnel changes.
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