Pentagon takes steps to fire civilian workers with ‘speed and conviction’

A day before the federal government shut down this month, a top Pentagon official signed a memo that could make it easier for the Defense Department to lay off employees.

In the September 30 memo, titled “Separation of Employees with Unacceptable Performance,” Anthony Tata, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, outlined new guidelines that directed supervisors and human resources staff to “act with speed and conviction” to facilitate the separation of poorly performing employees from the Department of Defense.

“Supervisors will work with HR to issue a written notice of proposed termination detailing specific performance deficiencies and consistent failures of an employee to meet quality standards, deadlines, or productivity goals,” the memo states.

The Washington Post was first to report this memo.

The new policy essentially speeds up the timeline for terminating an employee.

Human resources, in coordination with legal counsel, will have 10 calendar days to notify the supervisor of supporting documentation for the termination, the memo states, and the employee will have seven calendar days to respond to the termination notice, “or as required by collective bargaining agreements.”

A “decision maker” will be responsible for reviewing the notice and the employee’s response and providing a written decision within 30 calendar days of the proposed termination notice.

The memo also holds managers at all levels accountable for resolving poor employee performance.

In response to a request for comment, a Pentagon official told NBC News: “The Secretary of War’s September 30 memos became effective when he signed them. »

“The ministry is adjusting to the new directions outlined in Undersecretary of War Tata’s September 30 memo and we have nothing specific to share at this time,” the official added.

Top Democrats and Republicans on the House and Senate Armed Services Committees did not immediately comment Tuesday evening.

Layoffs at the Pentagon have continued since Pete Hegseth became Secretary of Defense under President Donald Trump. He fired several senior leaders with ties to the Biden administration or those not seen as aligned with the Trump administration, including Gen. CQ Brown, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Adm. Lisa Francetti, the former chief of naval operations.

NBC News reported last month that, according to two defense officials, Hegseth ordered staffers to identify any member of the military who mocked or showed support for the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

As a whole, the Trump administration has sought to significantly downsize the government, effectively dismantling some agencies and imposing so-called staff reductions across many departments. However, efforts to further reduce staff numbers through mass layoffs during the government shutdown have faced legal obstacles. A federal judge in Oregon on Tuesday blocked the administration from carrying out mass layoffs until the government reopens.

Hegseth, who has pledged to reduce the Army’s officer corps by up to 20 percent, discussed the personnel changes in a speech to hundreds of generals in Quantico, Virginia, in late September.

“In many ways this speech is about repairing decades of decadence, some obvious, some hidden, or as the president said, we are clearing away the debris, removing the distractions, clearing the way for leaders to become leaders,” Hegseth said.

“More leadership changes will be made, I am sure, not because we want to but because we have to. Once again, it is a matter of life and death. The sooner we have the right people, the sooner we can move the right policies forward. Personnel is policy,” he added.