Employees of the Health and Human Services Department have the option to receive up to $25,000 as part of President Donald Trump’s plan to reduce the federal workforce.
The Office of Personnel Management has authorized the HHS to provide Voluntary Separation Incentive payments.
According to an email, the OPM allows agencies to downsize or restructure to pay employees a lump sum of up to $25,000. This is to encourage them to separate voluntarily. The incentive is for those in excess positions or who have skills no longer required by their department.
Most employees in the HHS are eligible for the payment. This includes those at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Food and Drug Administration, and National Institutes of Health.
According to the OPM website, employees can also take this payment if they qualify for early or optional retirement.
The website said, “By allowing employees who wish to leave to do so, agencies can minimize or even avoid forced separations by using costly and disruptive force reductions.”
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, there are currently around 80,000 HHS employees in various capacities.
Offers are available Monday. Forms must be returned to the local HR offices by 5 pm on Friday.
According to USASpending.gov, the HHS accounts for 20,6% of America’s budget in Fiscal Year 2025 and $2.4 trillion budgetary resources. The Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services spends the majority of this money.
The only agency with more spending power is the Department of the Treasury.