The Food and Drug Administration is charged with overseeing the safety of vaccines, medicines, food products and more. (Andrew Kelly/Reuters)
On Tuesday, thousands of Food and Drug Administration workers were laid off. They were shut out from the government offices where they had worked. And they were placed on administrative leave until June 2.
But just hours after employees were shown the door, Barclay Butler, the agency’s new chief operating officer, asked top FDA officials to identify employees to keep working for the next two months, according to an email obtained by The Washington Post.
It appears, according to the email, that the agency needed laid-off employees to help transition as it was shedding workers.
“If you experience challenges with employees not wanting to work, we encourage you to select another employee that can support you in the transition efforts,” Melanie Keller, an FDA official, wrote in a follow-up email Wednesday to senior leaders.
The request came as senior leaders across the Department of Health and Human Services were put on administrative leave or offered reassignment, while thousands of other employees were laid off. HHS has said the cuts of 20,000 employees — including those who took buyouts and early retirement — will save the department about $1.8 billion annually.
“Within the lists provided to you last night, I request each Center/Office Director identify key individuals who should be restored from administrative leave to a temporary remote-working status, referred to by HHS as ‘Authorized to Work,’” Butler wrote Tuesday afternoon.
He recommended the list of positions include, “but are not limited to,” functions such as travel and logistics for foreign inspections; timekeeping; information technology; management of user fees that industries pay the FDA; laboratory personnel; financial management; and several other areas.
“As a point of emphasis, I am only asking for the employees who are necessary for support during the 60-day transition period,” Barclay wrote.
On Wednesday afternoon, Keller emailed senior leaders that they or other managers could directly authorize staff to temporarily work remotely and shared a sample of a note they could send their employees. She asked agency officials to send lists of those authorized to work by the close of business Thursday to ensure the staffers will no longer be on administrative leave.
In an email, Andrew Nixon, an HHS spokesman, wrote that all employees affected by the reduction in force may be asked to temporarily work until their government service ends on June 2.
“This decision is focused on ensuring that the transition is as seamless as possible, minimizing any disruption to the agency’s mission and operations,” Nixon wrote. “HHS fully supports this approach, which aims to maintain public health services while managing the reorganization process effectively.”
“We must shift course,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wrote Tuesday on X. “HHS needs to be recalibrated to emphasize prevention, not just sick care. These changes will not affect Medicare, Medicaid, or other essential health services.”
Last week, HHS announced a broad outline of its effort to reduce staff from 82,000 to 62,000 — half of those took buyouts or early retirement and the other half would lose their jobs. The FDA was slated to lose about 3,500 employees, according to a fact sheet released by HHS, which said the cuts would not “affect drug, medical device, or food reviewers, nor will it impact inspectors.” The roughly $7 billion agency is charged with overseeing the safety of vaccines, medicines and medical devices; the majority of the U.S. food supply; tobacco products and more.