CISA extends deferred resignation offer to reinstated probationary staff
About 130 probationary employees at CISA have been on administrative leave since they were reinstated in March.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is extending deferred resignation offers to CISA probationary employees who were fired and then reinstated.
The cyber agency has expanded eligibility for the Department of Homeland Security’s “Workforce Transition Program” to many of its reinstated probationary employees, according to an email viewed by Federal News Network.
Employees are eligible if they complete their probationary period by April 28; were a federal employee who completed a probationary or trial period prior to joining CISA; or have one year of competitive service or two years of excepted service before joining CISA.
The newly eligible employees have until the end of the day on April 28 to take a deferred resignation, a voluntary separation incentive payment, or voluntary early retirement, depending on their age and tenure.
DHS opened the “Workforce Transition Program” to many employees on April 7, but the agency told the reinstated probationary employees they could not participate. The deadline for most other DHS employees to take one of the options was April 14.
CISA fired approximately 130 probationary employees in February as part of a wave of terminations across DHS and the federal government. After a court order, CISA reinstated the employees in March. They have been placed on administrative leave ever since.
Many fired probationary staff across the federal government have been in limbo since being reinstated. It’s unclear whether other DHS components have extended the offer to their reinstated probationary employees.
For the reinstated CISA employees, the new workforce transition offer is providing a measure of relief, according to one employee who was granted anonymity to avoid reprisal. But the DRP and those other options come with their own uncertainty, the employee added.
Experts say voluntary a decision to voluntarily resign from federal service should not be taken lightly.
Most of the fired probationary staff had recently joined CISA as part of a wave of hiring at the agency over the past four years. Now, the Trump administration is reportedly looking to make major cuts at CISA.
“It’s a scary time and I think this will have a lasting impact on a career path that used to be seen as ‘stable,’ even if some people could be making more in the private sector,” the CISA employee said.
Bill would ban further CISA cuts
Democrats, and some Republicans, have pushed back against broad cuts to CISA staff and programs. Today, Rep. Norma Torres (D-Calif.) introduced a bill that would reinstate any individual who was “involuntarily removed” as a CISA employee between Jan. 25 and March 1.
Torres’ bill, “Protecting America’s Cybersecurity Act,” would also require Congress to approve any reductions in CISA staff and resources. The bill would additionally ban personnel from the Department of Government Efficiency from working at CISA.
“In a time when our critical infrastructure is under constant threat, the last thing we need is politically motivated interference undermining our frontline cybersecurity defenses,” Torres said. “This bill restores essential Congressional oversight, protects our nonpartisan cyber workforce and reaffirms our commitment to a secure, resilient digital future.”
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