The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has officially laid off a significant number of employees as part of its workforce reduction plan. An email sent Monday confirmed that those who received layoff notices earlier in the year are now separated from the agency.
In its communication, HHS noted the Supreme Court’s ruling on July 8, which allowed the agency to proceed with a portion of its reduction-in-force (RIF) plans. The email stated, “Accordingly, you are hereby notified that you are officially separated from HHS at the close of business on July 14, 2025. Thank you for your service to the American people.”
This workforce reduction follows a mass RIF notice that was issued to around 10,000 employees on April 1. Additionally, another 10,000 employees opted for voluntary separation incentives, culminating in an overall staff reduction of approximately 25%.
Originally, the layoffs were scheduled to finalize by June 2. However, a preliminary injunction from a federal judge in San Francisco delayed these plans in May, blocking HHS and several other agencies from implementing their RIF strategies. The recent Supreme Court ruling effectively overruled this injunction.
According to an HHS spokesperson, all employees notified of their impending layoffs have officially been separated from the agency, aside from a small group protected by a separate preliminary injunction issued on July 1 by District Court Judge Melissa DuBose. This ruling specifically affects employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products, and several other offices within HHS, including the Office of Head Start.
Since April, HHS has gradually reinstated some employees across different divisions, including those at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and human resources staff.
Legal challenges continue to loom over HHS regarding its workforce cuts. A class-action lawsuit in the U.S. Court for the District of Columbia claims that the agency relied on inaccurate data when executing these mass terminations.
Federal employees, under the Privacy Act, have the right to contest adverse personnel actions based on incomplete or erroneous records. One Food and Drug Administration employee who received a termination letter on Monday indicated that the agency failed to correct discrepancies related to dates and performance ratings that were included in their initial RIF notice.
“This has not happened,” the employee stated, emphasizing that inaccuracies in the RIF notice should have led to a corrected re-issuance of the document, effectively restarting the countdown for their separation.
The situation for those officially terminated has resulted in challenges accessing the agency’s human resources system, and they report receiving no information regarding severance pay.
Another employee from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration expressed frustration after receiving a termination letter, despite having a strong performance history and being a disabled veteran. The employee lamented, “None of it mattered. They don’t even know who they fired,” criticizing the lack of communication and clarity following their dismissal.
The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), which supports affected HHS employees, assured that it will provide legal assistance to impacted members before the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB). The NTEU has been strategizing for member representation ahead of these separations.
“Now that separations are occurring, we will finalize those plans,” the NTEU stated in an email.
Federal employees have 30 days from the effective date of their separation to file appeals with the MSPB. The rise in new cases at the MSPB corresponds with an increase in workforce terminations, with administrative judges on track to handle an influx of appeals regarding alleged prohibited personnel practices.
Since President Donald Trump took office, the average weekly appeal cases at the MSPB have surged to around 468, a stark contrast to the 96 weekly appeals recorded in the closing months of 2024.
HHS is among several agencies to push forward with workforce reductions following the high court’s ruling. The State Department recently laid off over 1,350 employees, while the Education Department is set to implement plans to cut nearly 1,400 positions after receiving a similar green light from the Supreme Court.
For any further developments regarding personnel changes in the federal government, individuals can reach out to the reporter via email or Signal for additional insights.
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