Federal employees who voluntarily retire might receive around eight months’ worth of pay and perks as part of the buyout package.
According to a CNN report that quoted a CIA spokeswoman and two other sources, the CIA became the first significant national security agency to give buyouts to its whole personnel on Tuesday. This action is a component of US President Donald Trump’s larger plan to reduce the size of the federal government and bring it into line with the goals of his administration.
Federal employees who voluntarily retire might receive around eight months’ worth of pay and perks as part of the buyout package. Given their crucial role in protecting the country, most national security positions had not previously been eligible for such offers. But CIA Director John Ratcliffe believed the agency should be involved in this effort.
The CNN story quotes a CIA official who said that Ratcliffe’s plan to “make sure the CIA workforce is responsive to the administration’s national security priorities” includes these buyouts, calling it a “holistic strategy to infuse the agency with renewed energy.”
Although all agency employees received the offer, it is still unknown if they will all be able to take part. According to the research, some positions are critical; thus, certain functions and areas of expertise are probably excluded. According to insiders, the CIA program’s reach is more constrained than that of other civil service organizations that do not deal with national security issues. Additionally, Ratcliffe maintains control over when officers leave certain regions.
According to two people familiar with the situation, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released guidelines last week suggesting that while not all posts at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) will qualify, some officers may be eligible for the program.
The CIA’s inclusion in the buyout program seems to have been decided recently. According to another source referenced in the CNN report, the CIA staff was still being told that eligibility was being considered as of last week.
The extensive CIA buyout offer was first disclosed by the Wall Street Journal.
CIA intelligence professionals have been accused by Trump and his supporters of being a part of a “deep state” that wants to destroy his presidency. Trump-aligned national security officials have claimed that the CIA has shifted its emphasis too much towards analysis at the expense of covert operations and clandestine intelligence gathering, which are essential duties of the agency’s smaller Directorate of Operations.
“To the brave CIA officers listening all around the world, if all of this sounds like what you signed up for, then buckle up and get ready to make a difference,” Ratcliffe had noted in his opening statement. “If it doesn’t, then it’s time to find a new line of work.”
The deferred resignation program has sparked controversy across the federal government. Unions have urged members not to accept the offer, which was announced via a mass email from the OPM to federal employees on January 28.
The Trump administration is reportedly planning widespread layoffs across the federal workforce. Employees who do not accept the deferred resignation offer risk being affected by upcoming “Reductions in Force,” expected to commence shortly after the OPM’s February 6 deadline for accepting the buyout package.
According to reports, the Trump administration intends to lay off a large portion of the federal workforce. Workers who decline the option of a deferred resignation run the risk of being impacted by impending “Reductions in Force,” which are anticipated to start soon after the OPM’s deadline of February 6 for accepting the buyout package.
Under the agreement, workers can leave on their own volition and still get paid until September 30 if they choose not to continue working. It’s unclear if the CIA’s offer is subject to the same conditions.
Federal employees who are hesitant to return to in-person work are being given buyouts, according to a memo published on the OPM website on January 29. Many government employees enjoyed flexible work schedules after the outbreak, but the administration has ordered a return to office work. Those who take the buyout will receive severance compensation through September 30 and are required to leave by February 6.
Officials say the policy revisions were communicated to federal agency chiefs within the past day.