Agencies receive instructions from Trump to prepare for mass terminations and a shift towards recruitment based on attrition
In a surprising turn of events, Elon Musk and his associates find themselves at the heart of a significant shift in federal workforce policies under President Trump. On Tuesday, Trump signed an executive order mandating federal agencies to develop plans for severe curtailment of hiring and widespread layoffs once the current freeze is lifted. The order is a reflection of a memorandum signed by Trump on his first day in office, which instituted a hiring freeze and demanded agencies create plans to slash their workforces. The Department of Government Efficiency, now known as U.S. DOGE Service, led by Elon Musk, will be at the center of these efforts. Musk, in the Oval Office, stated that 'you can't have an autonomous federal bureaucracy,' and that there is an 'unelected, fourth-unconstitutional-branch of government, which is the bureaucracy.' His assertions have caused alarm among some and have collected lawsuits over his access to sensitive government systems and data. The new order will force agencies to hire only one new employee in non-exempted roles for every four who leave, leading to significant attrition. This will be accompanied by a focus on hiring for 'essential positions' only, and any such hiring must be approved by a DOGE team member. Musk has been heavily involved in the administration's workforce policies, including the 'deferred resignation program' offers to federal workers. However, his actions have raised ethics and transparency questions, with some experts considering them to be a constitutional crisis. The administration is attempting to shutter at least the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Education Department without required involvement from Congress. Musk and his work are subject to these ethics and transparency questions. Despite the controversy surrounding Musk's involvement, he has faced legal pushback for circumventing federal appropriations and other statutes in his government contracts. Some of the things he said 'will be incorrect and should be corrected.' This development marks a significant shift in the federal workforce, with the Department of Government Efficiency playing a pivotal role. The implications of these changes remain to be seen as the plans for large-scale reductions in force are presented by agencies in the coming weeks.
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