US Health Department offers employees $25k to resign
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Dozens of employees are currently on administrative leave as the Trump administration works toward fully shutting down the department.
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US President Donald Trump waves before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, on March 7, 2025, in Washington. (AP)
CBS, citing a source familiar with the matter, reported that the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) offered all its employees the option to resign for a one-time payment of $25,000 voluntarily.
This offer was made in the context of widespread government layoffs announced by President Donald Trump.
The broadcaster said that the offer of voluntary resignation expires on Friday, March 14.
According to CBS, the US Department of Health employs more than 80,000 people.
Previously, employees of the US Social Security Administration (SSA) were offered a similar compensation of $25,000 for voluntary resignation.
Early this month, the US government agency responsible for providing benefits to tens of millions of older Americans announced plans to reduce its workforce by 7,000 employees as part of the Trump administration's broader effort to downsize the federal workforce.
The Social Security Administration (SSA), which distributes monthly payments to 73 million retired and disabled Americans, stated that it will cut more than 12% of its staff.
"The agency plans to reduce the size of its bloated workforce and organizational structure, with a significant focus on functions and employees who do not directly provide mission-critical services," the SSA announced in a statement.
It added that it "recently set a staffing target of 50,000, down from the current level of approximately 57,000 employees."
Additionally, the SSA confirmed plans to reduce the number of its regional offices from 10 to 4.
On February 28, two dozen senior SSA staff members resigned, according to an internal memo written by Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek.
In late January, NBC reported that the Trump administration was offering government employees eight months of severance pay if they voluntarily resigned. Up to 10% of federal officials were expected to accept the offer, which was projected to save the government billions of dollars.
A senior administration official told the channel that between 5% and 10% of federal employees were expected to be dismissed.
