HHS Offers $25,000 Buyout to Workers Amid Trump’s Workforce Cuts

The US Department of Health and Human Services is offering voluntary buyouts of up to $25,000 to its employees, as the Trump administration continues efforts to shrink the federal workforce.

The health department said in an email to employees it received authorization from the Office of Personnel Management on Friday to offer Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments, which allow agencies that are downsizing or restructuring to offer employees lump-sum payments as an incentive to depart.

The offer, which is to a “broad population of HHS employees,” is effective March 10 through March 14, according to the email obtained by Bloomberg Law.

President Donald Trump has moved quickly to reshape the federal government, with the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency driving the effort to shed thousands of federal workers.

The HHS offer is in addition to the agency’s proposal to its employees on March 3 that they could apply until March 14 for the government’s Voluntary Early Retirement Authority, which allows agencies to temporarily lower the age and service requirements for retirement. The offer applies to employees that are at least 50 years old with at least 20 years of creditable federal service, or any age with at least 25 years creditable federal service.

The FDA’s Retirement and Benefits Branch on Tuesday provided more details about the offer in a webinar informing employees about tools for making informed decisions about their retirement options, according to an email obtained by Bloomberg Law.