Pentagon removes protections for civilian workers, orders rapid layoffs

The Pentagon removed critical protections for its civilian workers and asked leaders to act with “speed and conviction” to fire underperforming workers, according to a memo released last month.

The guidelines were released on September 30, just a day before the government shutdown, in a memo titled “Separation of Employees with Unacceptable Performance” to weed out workers whose performance reviews are “unacceptable.”

“Supervisors and human resources (HR) professionals must act with speed and conviction to facilitate the separation of unsuccessful employees from the federal service,” read the memo signed by Deputy Secretary of Defense Anthony Tata, the Pentagon’s top personnel policy official.

The memo also says managers will be held accountable for failing to address “poor employee performance.”

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The Pentagon has removed critical protections for its civilian workers and asked leaders to act with “speed and conviction” to fire underperforming workers. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Some executives fear the guidelines are too broad and could be used to fire anyone who does not support the Trump administration’s programs, according to the Washington Post.

It’s unclear how many employees have been laid off since the memo was released last month.

“The Department is adjusting to the new guidance outlined in Undersecretary of War Tata’s September 30 memo and we have nothing specific to share at this time,” the Pentagon said in a statement to the Washington Post.

Nearly half of Defense civilian personnel have been furloughed during the current closure. The administration attempted to lay off thousands of furloughed employees earlier this month, but the attempt was blocked by a federal court.

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The memo says managers will be held accountable for failing to address “poor employee performance.” (Reuters)

The civilian shootings are part of a broader effort by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth to clear “debris” that he says stands in the way of his mission to implement Trump’s agenda.

“The sooner we have the right people, the sooner we can put forward the right policies. Personnel is policy,” Hegseth said last month during a speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico.

The memo makes it easier for managers to fire civilian Defense employees, creating additional subjectivity for job performance evaluations.

Managers are asked to cite criteria used in federal job evaluations known as the Douglas factors, but each factor in the new memo added language that could impact some of those considerations.

Some executives worry the guidelines are too broad and could be used to fire anyone who doesn’t support the Trump administration’s programs. (Photo by Scott J. Ferrell/Congressional Quarterly/Getty Images)

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“Every DoW position supports the mission, so gaps in any role may warrant strong action,” reads the memo under the Douglas Factor section that involves an employee’s roles and responsibilities.

These factors give managers “the flexibility to resolve performance issues quickly and effectively,” according to the memo.

“This approach allows supervisors to act decisively when performance compromises DoW objectives, thereby reinforcing a culture of excellence. Supervisors should use the Douglas Factors in consideration of their action,” the memo added.