Veterans Affairs Department reverses mass layoff plans; Here's what prompted the U-turn

The Department of Veterans Affairs will lose 30,000 employees through resignations and retirements by October 2025, eliminating the need for mass layoffs.

The United States Department of Veterans Affairs on Monday reversed course on its previously announced plans of reduction in force and said that the department will lose 30,000' people through resignation and early retirement by October 2025, which will eliminate the need for mass layoffs. Earlier, pushed by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the Veterans Affairs department had planned to cut jobs of more than 80,000 employees.

Representational image.(Unsplash)

The Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Doug Collins, issued a statement Monday saying that employees leaving through retirement, resignations and attrition, coupled with the hiring freeze, will “eliminate the need for a large-scale reduction-in-force.”

“A department-wide RIF is off the table, but that doesn’t mean we’re done improving VA,” he said, adding that the department is now "heading in the right direction."

Why Was The Mass Layoff Canceled?

The cancelation came shortly before the mass layoffs plans in the Department of Veterans Affairs were set to begin in July, with another round coming in September. Huffington Post reported that the prospect of mass layoffs at the Department of Veterans Affairs has alarmed several veterans, as a number of them rely on the Department's aides and services for upkeep.

It has caused alarm among several Republican lawmakers, as well, such as Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas, who is serving as the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman; Senator Tom Tills of North Carolina; House Rep. Mike Bost of Illinois, who serves as the House VA Committee Chairman; and House Rep. Tom Barret of Michigan.

Along with the Republican lawmakers, Democratic lawmakers have unanimously opposed the proposed layoffs.

Dept. Of Veteran Affairs Mass Layoffs- A Timeline

The layoffs in the Department of Veterans Affairs came amid the DOGE-enforced mandate to reduce government spending, which saw several federal agencies reducing their workforce. The plans of mass layoffs at the Department of Veterans Affairs were first reported by the Associated Press in March 6 citing an internal memo of the Trump administration. The memo laid out plans to reduce as many as 80,000 employees, amounting to 15% of the department's workforce.

Early enforcement of the plan began with the probationary employees being cut off from service. A full implementation was to be completed between July and September.