A man walks by the U.S. Department of Education building in Washington, D.C., on February 7.
Gent Shkullaku/ZUMA Press Wire via Alamy
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Gent Shkullaku/ZUMA Press Wire via Alamy
On Tuesday, U.S. Department of Education employees received a message directing them to clear all department offices by 6:00 PM. Staff were instructed by the Office of Security, Facilities, and Logistics to prepare for remote work the following day.
The communication offered limited details, stating that department offices would be closed “for security reasons” and would reopen the following Thursday.
Department employees shared this email with NPR but chose to remain anonymous due to concerns of potential backlash. The White House and the Education Department did not respond to inquiries for comments.
The email raised further alarm among employees who have been bracing for significant staff reductions under the Trump administration in recent weeks.
This Thursday, it is anticipated that agency leaders will submit their “reorganization” proposals to the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) along with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
A guidance memo from OMB and OPM issued in late February directed agency leaders to implement “large-scale reductions in force (RIFs)” through attrition and by “eliminating unnecessary positions.”
According to AFGE Local 252, a union representing Education Department employees, at least 75 department staff members have already been placed on paid administrative leave. This count does not account for supervisors or managers. Many of these employees on paid leave had formerly participated in a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion workshop offered by the department for years, even during the initial Trump administration.
The union reports that at least 75 recently hired probationary staff, who are more vulnerable to layoffs, have also lost their positions.
The Education Department has not responded to requests for an official count of those currently on leave or who have been laid off since the Trump administration commenced.
