VA dismisses more than 1,400 employees after initial dismissal of 1,000 workers

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced on February 24 the dismissal of more than 1,400 employees in non-mission critical positions. This latest round of dismissals comes nearly two weeks after the announcement of the dismissal of more than 1,000 employees, as part of efforts by President Donald Trump and presidential adviser Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to reduce the size of the federal government.

Those dismissed recently have been deemed bargaining-unit probationary employees who have served less than a year in a competitive service appointment or who have served less than two years in an excepted service appointment.

Mission-critical positions are exempt from the reductions, which the VA says will enable the organization to redirect over $98 million annually to health care, benefits and services for VA beneficiaries.

The VA says that the personnel moves will save the department more than $83 million per year, and VA will redirect all of those resources back toward health care, benefits and services for VA beneficiaries.

There are currently nearly 40,000 probationary employees across the department, the vast majority of whom were exempt from the personnel actions because they serve in mission-critical positions – primarily those supporting benefits and services for VA beneficiaries. VA employees who elected to participate in the Office of Personnel Management’s deferred resignation program are also exempt from today’s personnel actions.

In the meantime, VA continues to hire for more than 300,000 mission-critical positions that are exempt from the federal hiring freeze. VA positions considered mission critical include Veterans Crisis Line responders, among other roles. VA positions considered non-mission critical include DEI-related positions, among other roles.

The VA says it is refocusing on its core mission: providing the best possible care and benefits to Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors.

“These and other recent personnel decisions are extraordinarily difficult, but VA is focused on allocating its resources to help as many Veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors as possible,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins, who insisted the cuts would not hurt veterans.

“These moves will not hurt VA health care, benefits or beneficiaries. In fact, Veterans are going to notice a change for the better. In the coming weeks and months, VA will be announcing plans to put these resources to work helping the department fulfill its core mission: providing the best possible care and benefits to Veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors.”

The VA has almost 450,000 employees, nearly 92% of whom work in health care and health administration and support services.

In separate moves, the VA announced Jan. 23 that more than 300,000 positions at the department were exempt from a federal hiring freeze announced Jan. 20 and more than 130 job categories are not eligible for the deferred resignation program offer issued by the Office of Personnel Management on Jan. 28.

In addition to the provisional personnel cuts, the VA also appears to be canceling contracts for research on veteran suicide, opioid addiction, cancer and illnesses related to burn pits.

DOGE has led a massive workforce reduction that extends to multiple agencies, including the VA, Education Department, Energy Department, Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Agency for International Development and Department of Homeland Security.