Some employees may be eligible for eight more weeks of pay
Mass exodus could cause chaos as agency winds down, officials say.
The US Agency for International Development is offering some soon-to-be laid off workers two months of extra pay not to quit, as agency officials fret over potential fallout from workers leaving early, according to documents obtained by Bloomberg Law.
The agency sent “retention incentive” offers to about 800 staffers stationed across the globe, asking them to stay until early September to make sure the agency is appropriately shuttered, according to a copy of the notice and two USAID employees, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid retaliation.
Trump issued an executive order on his first day in office freezing foreign aid programs, and a month later, furloughed most agency employees. Virtually the entire person workforce, once 10,000 people strong, will be laid off permanently this summer, with separation dates set on July 1 and Sept. 2.
The move highlights the many unforeseen challenges facing the Trump administration’s efforts to cut the federal workforce, including a dearth of essential workers. It comes as the administration plans to eliminate all overseas position by Sept. 30, the Guardian reported Tuesday.
Employees who take the incentive pay will support the “orderly draw down of agency operations,” including closing out active contracts and carrying human resources duties, a State Department spokesperson said in an email.
“These actions were taken with OPM approval and in line with OPM regulations,” the spokesperson said, referring to the Office of Personnel Management.
The notice said certain employees have been identified as “mission essential due to the critical responsibilities you hold for the safe and orderly offboarding of personnel and the handover of operations to the Department of State.” Eligible employees have until June 11 to respond. MORE