(The Center Square) – The Department of Veteran Affairs announced Tuesday that it dismissed more than 1,400 probationary employees in non-mission critical positions.
The agency continues to hire for more than 300,000 mission-critical positions that are exempt from the federal hiring freeze.
VA positions considered mission critical include Veterans Crisis Line responders, among other roles. VA positions considered non-mission critical included diversity, equity and inclusion-related positions, among other roles.
The 1,400 employees dismissed Tuesday were bargaining-unit probationary employees who have served less than a year in a competitive service appointment or who have served less than two years in an excepted service appointment, according to VA officials.
The cuts are expected to save the department more than $83 million per year. The VA will redirect that money back toward health care, benefits and services for VA beneficiaries.
The VA has about 40,000 probationary employees, the vast majority of whom were exempt from Tuesday’s personnel actions because they serve in mission-critical positions – primarily those supporting benefits and services for VA beneficiaries. VA employees who elected to participate in the Office of Personnel Management’s deferred resignation program are also exempt.
Even those employees on the chopping block could be spared.
To ensure VA benefits and services are not affected, the first Senior Executive Service or SES-equivalent leader in a dismissed employee’s chain of command can request that the employee be exempted from removal.
The VA dismissals announced Tuesday come after the VA cut more than 1,000 of its 43,000 probationary employees in a move expected to save $98 million a year. In that dismissal earlier this month, VA let go of non-union probationary employees who have served less than a year in a competitive service appointment or who have served less than two years in an excepted service appointment.
Tuesday’s announcement comes as Trump looks to reshape the federal workforce.
“These and other recent personnel decisions are extraordinarily difficult, but VA is focused on allocating its resources to help as many Veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors as possible,” VA Secretary Doug Collins said. “These moves will not hurt VA health care, benefits or beneficiaries. In fact, Veterans are going to notice a change for the better. In the coming weeks and months, VA will be announcing plans to put these resources to work helping the department fulfill its core mission: providing the best possible care and benefits to Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors.”
