DHS employees consider workforce transition amid major uncertainty

Tens of thousands of Department of Homeland Security employees have until Monday night to decide whether to voluntarily step away from their jobs, and in many cases, long careers at DHS.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sent details of the offer to DHS employees on Monday, April 7, in an email, “Reshaping of the DHS Workforce.” The “Workforce Transition Program” gives DHS employees who want to leave three options: deferred resignation, early retirement or a voluntary separation payment.

DHS employees who are eligible to participate have until Monday, April 14, at 11:59 p.m. EST to decide whether to take one of the options. Noem wrote that DHS components would send out more specific guidance tailored to their individual workforces. Most DHS components did not follow up until Tuesday at the earliest, meaning employees have had less than a week to consider their future.

Many of DHS’ 260,000 employees are exempt from participating in the program. Noem said law enforcement officers are exempt “as a general rule.”

At Customs and Border Protection, for instance, CBP’s law enforcement personnel and agricultural specialists are not eligible to participate in the program, according to an April 8 email viewed by Federal News Network. CBP’s probationary employees are also not eligible to participate in the program.

And a source familiar with the Transportation Security Administration’s plans confirmed TSA’s airport screening officers are ineligible to take any of the exit offers.

But many other personnel across DHS’ various components can participate in the transition program. They’re considering their career options during major uncertainty about the future of DHS past Monday night’s deadline.

At the Federal Emergency Management Agency, employees are considering the offer amid reports that FEMA will be targeted with reductions in force. Noem recently said DHS is working to eliminate FEMA. The Trump administration would need congressional approval to fully eliminate the agency, but it has already taken steps to freeze or shutter FEMA programs.

Michael Coen, Jr., former chief of staff at FEMA, said FEMA staff have struggled to get answers about the future of their positions. Coen said while FEMA’s emergency response staff are mostly exempt from taking the DHS transition offers, many other support staff are eligible for DRP or early retirement.

But Coen said even FEMA managers are “in the dark” about future plans for cutting the agency.

“I think that’s intentional to create the environment where more people take this DRP,” Coen said.

The turmoil is happening during a time when FEMA traditionally prepares for the beginning of hurricane season on June 1.

“I do believe this is adversely impacting FEMA’s ability to perform its mission now and into the future,” Coen said.

FEMA did not respond to emails inquiring about its workforce plans.

Thomas Sivak, a former senior executive at FEMA, has been advising employees to deeply consider their options well in advance of Monday night.

“Everybody keeps hearing the term RIF, and right now is the time where unfortunately, we have to look within to take care of ourselves, especially at FEMA, where all we do is continue to help people,” Sivak said.

He said many employees are overwhelmed by the short time frame to make the decision with little information about the Trump administration’s plans for the agency.

But Sivak advised that employees not wait until the last minute to consider the decision. He also encouraged FEMA employees to discuss the decision with others instead of going it alone.

“Take time this weekend to really think through the decision — the investment of the time now in an open space allows for clarity that will come when the decision has to be made,” Sivak said.

Meanwhile, at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, the transition options are open to “all employees,” a CISA spokeswoman confirmed. The cyber agency employs approximately 3,300 staff. CISA employees are considering their options amid multiple news reports that the Trump administration is targeting the cyber agency for deep cuts.

“As DHS continues to identify areas for improvement and increased efficiency across the workforce structure, these programs offer employees flexibility, time to plan, and the support needed to make an important personal and professional decision,” the CISA spokeswoman said. “CISA is committed to supporting employees through this transition while continuing to carry out our mission to protect the homeland.”

Other DHS components did not respond to emails inquiring about component-specific plans.

DHS had largely skirted the Trump administration’s initial efforts to cut federal workers. Many DHS offices were exempt from taking the first deferred resignation offer. DHS also fired approximately 400 probationary employees in February, compared to the thousands fired by other big agencies.

But a former DHS official, who requested anonymity to speak candidly, expects many more DHS employees to take one of the latest transition offers. This time around, the official said, there’s less expectation of being insulated from federal workforce cuts because of DHS’ mission.

“I expect more uptake this time, because people don’t want to get RIF’d,” the former official added.