Probationary employees from various federal health agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services received nearly identical termination letters on Saturday evening, according to sources speaking to CBS News.
“Regrettably, the Agency has determined that you are not suitable for ongoing employment due to the mismatch between your abilities, knowledge, and skills and the current requirements of the Agency, as well as inadequate performance that does not warrant continuation in your role,” stated the letter acquired by CBS News.
The letter was signed by Jeffrey Anoka, the acting head of human resources for the Department of Health and Human Services. A health official revealed to CBS News that thousands of these letters were dispatched on Saturday.
Probationary employees typically have less than a year in their roles and are more easily let go compared to other federal staff members.
CBS News
This action comes as part of a government-wide initiative to reduce the number of probationary employees following directions from the Department of Government Efficiency task force, also known as DOGE, which is headed by billionaire Elon Musk.
Initially, over 5,000 probationary employees at health agencies were slated for termination, although not everyone received termination letters on Saturday. Some letters were mistakenly sent to individuals who were not meant to be let go, officials indicated.
Additionally, certain agencies received exceptions for portions of their workforce facing cuts, in response to increasing backlash regarding reductions at agencies including the Indian Health Service.
Also exempt from the final cut list mandated by the Trump administration was the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service, known for their work as “disease detectives,” CBS News has learned. Officials overseeing this fellowship initially warned state health departments and staff members that their numbers would be reduced by half.
In contrast, other fellowship programs within the agency fared worse. Officials stated that the CDC’s Public Health Associate Program, which places recent graduates in health departments nationally, was eliminated.
Other agencies experiencing staff reductions on Saturday included the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, which manages the nation’s pandemic stockpiles, the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the National Institutes of Health.
A White House representative noted on Saturday that employees exempt from the cuts included scientists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the FDA, workers involved with Medicare, and frontline healthcare providers.
“This is not a random effort to eliminate whoever we can for the sake of it. This is a strategic move aimed at streamlining bureaucracy,” the official explained.
Calley Means, an adviser to newly sworn-in Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., defended the terminations as necessary beyond just financial reasons, echoing a concern raised during President Trump’s campaign regarding the failure to adequately address the factors contributing to declining life expectancy in the U.S.
“It would be irrational not to implement changes,” Means remarked in a post to X.
At the FDA, an employee revealed on Saturday that among those laid off were scientists, engineers, and an attorney, as part of the regulatory agency’s workforce cuts.
The reductions included sections of the FDA primarily funded by fees from companies submitting applications, rather than taxpayer funding — such as centers responsible for regulating tobacco products and medical devices.
The impact of this week’s cuts extends beyond just probationary employees and fellows. Many contractors, who possess fewer protections than agency staff, were abruptly informed this week of their terminations.
One former contractor at the CDC shared that they were one of only two individuals in a small team at the Atlanta-based agency skilled in operating a project aimed at analyzing electronic health records for disease surveillance.
The other staff member knowledgeable about the project was still a probationary employee.
“I’m concerned they’ll be overwhelmed with work and will end up dropping many projects. Projects were already starting to fade while I was present,” the former CDC contractor stated.
Several scientists that CBS News contacted mentioned they had made significant life changes to serve the federal government, often accepting lower salaries compared to what they could earn in academia or the private sector. Some had transitioned to probationary roles after several years working as contractors within the same agency.
One former scientist from the National Institutes of Health expressed that they were reassured in an emotional meeting with their supervisors on Friday that the decision had nothing to do with their job performance, as they had received kind words about their progress since being hired.
“Words can’t fully capture how financially devastated I am,” the former NIH scientist conveyed.
