As the Trump administration’s DOGE efforts continue to impact government agencies, over 12,000 employees at the General Services Administration (GSA) are being notified in an agency-wide email Monday evening that a “reduction in force” is underway.
In the memo from acting GSA administrator Stephen Ehikian, according to a draft obtained by Fox News Digital, the agency thanked employees who chose to be part of the “first step” of staff reduction by resigning from GSA on Friday. The memo also previewed the “next step of this process in support of the Presidential Executive Order: Implementing The President’s Department of Government Efficiency Workforce Optimization Initiative, The White House, dated February 11, 2025.”
“This serves as notice that the agency will be conducting a Reduction in Force (RIF) and is seeking approval from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to also obtain a Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA),” the email states. “More information to impacted business units and employees will be forthcoming.”
The letter concludes by thanking affected employees for their “service to this nation.”
A source familiar with the situation told Fox News Digital that 30-40 employees will initially be affected by the reduction, as the agency begins with a focused number to ensure the plan is executed well with minimal errors.
The GSA, which manages federal real estate and procures goods and services, is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and has 11 regional offices. A GSA senior manager familiar with the process told Fox News Digital that the first actions will target select offices rather than the entire agency, and bargaining unit employees are not expected to be affected.
Additionally, the agency is seeking an additional Voluntary Early Retirement Authority, as outlined by the OPM, and will offer severance or discontinued services annuities as appropriate.
A GSA spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “GSA realizes that a Reduction in Force, while necessary to meet the administration’s mandate to rightsize the federal government, reduce waste and redundancies, and deliver a more cost-effective service to the taxpayer, will impact our workforce. GSA is committed to treating all of our employees respectfully and fairly, in accordance with all applicable laws and bargaining unit agreements, during this process.”
The executive order cited in the memo, issued earlier this month, stated that it was intended “to restore accountability to the American public” and “commences a critical transformation of the Federal bureaucracy.”
“By eliminating waste, bloat, and insularity, my Administration will empower American families, workers, taxpayers, and our system of Government itself,” the executive order states.
