President Trump’s federal workforce reductions and funding cuts have left many federal employees grappling with a new reality. Abe Grungold, a retired federal manager who now runs AG Financial Services, shared his perspective on the current situation. “They’re going too fast from agency to agency, and they’re using a broad brush when they’re doing it,” Grungold said, commenting on the pace and approach of the ongoing reductions.
Grungold compared the current efforts to those of past administrations, particularly the Clinton era’s National Partnership for the Reinvention of Government. “They reduced the federal workforce by 423,000 employees. That was a significant number.
They did it after a six-month review, engaging employees to identify redundant functions,” he explained. The Clinton administration’s strategy involved careful planning and agency-level discretion, utilizing tools such as the federal buyout, Voluntary Employee Retirement Authority (VERA), and the A76 review to determine if government functions could be performed more efficiently by contractors. Grungold stressed the importance of a methodical approach.
“The Clinton and Gore administration took some planning, and each agency really gave it some thought of what would be the best method to reduce the workforce.
Federal reductions impacting workforce speed
It was done in a quiet method not to panic the workforce.”
Regarding the current reduction strategy, Grungold noted the return of weekly performance verification methods, such as the controversial five-bullet email.
“The five bullet points is really just a method to verify your position,” he said. It verifies that employees are working, but it does have its flaws, as it can overlook those on leave or with name changes.”
Despite the rapid approach of the current administration, Grungold acknowledged one positive aspect: a generous deferred resignation program. “It got the attention of 75,000 employees who were probably going to retire this year, next year, and it gave them a big incentive,” he said, noting that six of his clients took advantage of the offer.
However, the speed of the reductions remains a concern. “They’re doing these reductions at warp speed, and they’re using a broad brush. When they do this, they affect employees critical to the mission,” Grungold cautioned.
He cited an incident at the Department of Energy where essential staff had to be rehired due to their crucial roles. Grungold urges the administration to slow down and carefully evaluate which employees are essential to their respective missions before making cuts. As history demonstrates, thoughtful and strategic planning can result in better outcomes for both employees and the overall effectiveness of government operations.
Photo by; The Jopwell Collection on Unsplash