VA Cancels Plans for Departmentwide Layoffs Amid Staff Reductions

Washington, D.C. — The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced on Monday that it will no longer consider implementing departmentwide layoffs through a reduction-in-force.

Initially, VA Secretary Doug Collins indicated the aim was to cut 15% of the workforce, equating to around 72,000 positions. However, with recent changes, the department expects to reduce nearly 30,000 positions by the end of the fiscal year, a figure significantly lower than earlier estimates.

Since January, the VA has eliminated around 17,000 jobs through attrition, retirement, and a deferred resignation program during a governmentwide hiring freeze. The workforce has decreased from about 484,000 employees on January 1 to approximately 467,000 by June 1.

The VA estimates that an additional 12,000 employees will leave by September 30 through normal attrition and retirement offers, thereby eliminating the necessity for wholesale layoffs. According to the department, safeguards are in place to ensure that staff reductions do not negatively affect veteran care or benefits.

“VA has multiple safeguards in place to ensure these staff reductions do not impact veteran care or benefits,” the department stated.

Despite these assurances, concerns persist among lawmakers. House VA Committee Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.) expressed confidence in Collins and the administration’s approach, but Senate VA Committee Ranking Member Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) criticized the cuts. He suggested that the VA is losing employees at an “unsustainable rate” and warned of potentially dire consequences for veteran services.

The upcoming reduction in workforce remains one of the largest in the VA’s history. This comes after the hiring surge under the Biden administration, which aimed to enhance services due to the PACT Act of 2022, expanding eligibility for VA health care and benefits.

“The Secretary knows that VA’s workforce was expanded to meet the needs of veterans covered by the largest healthcare and benefit expansion in VA history, the PACT Act,” said House VA Committee Ranking Member Mark Takano (D-Calif.). He voiced concern over the impending workforce reductions and the potential impact on veteran services.

Internal documents earlier this year revealed that the VA was considering aggressive staffing cuts but has since adjusted its approach. The department has exempted mission-critical positions from early retirement offers, and more than 350,000 VA roles remain unaffected by the ongoing hiring freeze.

As discussions of reorganization continue, internal evaluations are underway to understand the implications of workforce cuts and how they may impact veteran care moving forward.

VA Press Secretary Peter Kasperowicz emphasized that the internal documents outlining previous plans do not reflect the current strategies or goals of the VA.