Trump administration rehires hundreds of federal employees laid off by DOGE
apnews.com
Hundreds of laid-off federal employees who managed government workspaces are being called back to their jobs as the Trump administration walks back plans to slash its real estate portfolio.

MIAMI (AP) — Hundreds of federal employees who lost their jobs in Elon Musk’s cost-cutting blitz are being asked to return to work.

The General Services Administration has given the employees — who managed government workspaces — until the end of the week to accept or decline reinstatement, according to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press. Those who accept must report for duty on Oct. 6 after what amounts to a seven-month paid vacation, during which time the GSA in some cases racked up high costs — passed along to taxpayers — to stay in dozens of properties whose leases it had slated for termination or were allowed to expire.

“Ultimately, the outcome was the agency was left broken and understaffed,” said Chad Becker, a former GSA real estate official. “They didn’t have the people they needed to carry out basic functions.”

Becker, who represents owners with government leases at Arco Real Estate Solutions, said GSA has been in a “triage mode” for months. He said the sudden reversal of the downsizing reflects how Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency had gone too far, too fast.

  • BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today
    24·
    2 days ago

    I would get together with my entire department/ division, and respond as a group, and demand double pay, and lots of perks, to return. They either pay it, or somehow recruit and train the entire department.

    Then unionize the entire Federal government.

  • A_norny_mousse@feddit.org
    41·
    2 days ago

    Those who accept must report for duty on Oct. 6 after what amounts to a seven-month paid vacation

    Saved Billions there, right?

    And as another commenter said: the full story is even worse. Add to that that these guys will have a LOT of extra work to get their workplace in order when they get back.

    And the best ones said fuck it, I’m going elsewhere.

    Well done, DOGE

  • Poayjay@lemmy.worldEnglish
    52·
    3 days ago

    What a shit article. The courts ruled that the hundreds of employees that were placed on admin leave pending termination for working there less than a year were fired illegally. They cannot fire them. Since they are still on admin leave they have to come back.

    What they failed to mention is that all of the employees who were put on admin leave pending termination, who then took the “fork” offer do not get to come back because they “quit.”

    The GSA was and is DOGE central and is completely broken right now.

    • Tuukka R@piefed.eeEnglish
      16·
      2 days ago

      I had to google the Dead Sea Effect: it means that when a workplace has a bad culture, the most skilled and ambitious workers are first to leave and those who have a habit to do the minimum will remain.

      Anyway, I’d say this effect is weaker in this situation, because many workers are there truly to serve their country, not merely as “generic workers”. They might feel that they have something important to contribute to the society, which means there’s an actual chance for even some of the best to return.

  • Tollana1234567@lemmy.today
    20·
    2 days ago

    the employees would be a fools, if they arnt asking for triple the pay, plus severance, and other stipulations incase they are refired again, which will happen.

    • Paddzr@lemmy.world
      21·
      2 days ago

      What job market? If you were jobless all this time… They have them by the balls.

      • HubertManne@piefed.socialEnglish
        3·
        2 days ago

        yeah some other person had a response like this and its like. um. and also trump wants them gone. the court only requires them to have the option of not having been fired.

      • funkless_eck@sh.itjust.works
        2·
        2 days ago

        paragraphs 2 and 5 in the article. The employees get to keep their contract buyouts, meaning they got half a year off at the same rate of pay.

  • WanderingThoughts@europe.pub
    26·
    2 days ago

    I’m guessing they replacing people with AI didn’t work and nobody from the private sector is willing to touch that for what the administration is willing to pay.

      • Frezik@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
        3·
        2 days ago

        Well, it was. That was exactly the plan of Project 2025. Problem was, Musk steamrolled over all that to implement step one while forgetting that there’s a step two.

        I said shortly after the election that they wouldn’t be able to implement half of Project 2025 because of reality getting in the way. The Project 2025 Tracker currently lists it as 47% complete, and it’s been stuck around there for quite some time. I didn’t expect my prediction to be that literally close, but there it is.