Latest news with #DRP2.0
The Guardian
29-04-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Peace Corps to undergo ‘significant' cuts after Doge review
The Peace Corps is offering staff a second 'fork in the road' buyout, according to a source familiar with the matter. Allison Greene, the chief executive of Peace Corps, sent an email to staff on Monday with an update about the 'department of government efficiency' (Doge) assessment of the agency. Greene said to expect 'significant restructuring efforts' at Peace Corps headquarters, according to the email seen by the Guardian. Starting on 28 April and going through 6 May, direct hire and expert staff are being offered a second deferred resignation program, what Elon Musk's Doge has referred to as a 'fork in the road' buyout. Greene referred to this offer as 'DRP 2.0'. Eligible staff will hear from human resources and 'are strongly encouraged to consider this option', Greene wrote. The offer applies to employees both domestically and overseas. Peace Corps will 'continue to recruit, place, and train volunteers', Greene said, indicating that the cuts are specifically for agency staff and will not affect volunteers. A Peace Corps spokesperson confirmed that Doge began the cuts on Monday. 'The agency will remain operational and continue to recruit, place, and train volunteers, while continuing to support their health, safety and security, and effective service,' the spokesperson said. Since Donald Trump was inaugurated and tapped Musk to head the unofficial government agency Doge, the secretive group has steadily worked to slash budgets and lay off workers in federal agencies. With the mission to identify 'waste, fraud and abuse', it has targeted nearly two dozen agencies and fired hundreds of workers. Doge has especially focused on agencies involved in foreign aid and development, such as the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Doge started its work at Peace Corps headquarters in the beginning of April, according to two people familiar with the situation who spoke on the condition of anonymity. A Doge representative, Bridget Youngs, visited the agency headquarters at that time and asked for access to the agency's financial records. Doge workers have continued to work in the building over the following weeks. Peace Corps staffers were told to cooperate with Doge and 'if data from the system is requested, confirm what is required to meet their needs (data, format, etc)'. Staff were additionally told that 'under all circumstances, ensure that clear records are kept on what is requested and provided'. It's unclear how many Peace Corps jobs will be cut or if Doge will direct the agency to do more than this new round of buyouts. In a separate email sent by the Peace Corps office of human resources on Monday and seen by the Guardian, the agency wrote: 'At this time, we cannot give you full assurance which positions will remain – or where they will be located – after an anticipated workforce restructuring.' The Peace Corps sends volunteers to countries around the world to work for two years on public health, economic development and education projects. It was created in 1961 by John F Kennedy and has sent more than 240,000 volunteers abroad. It currently has around 3,000 volunteers working in 60 different countries.
CBS News
15-04-2025
- Business
- CBS News
IRS could cut up to 40% of workforce, memo indicates
The IRS is planning to cut up to 40% of its workforce after Tuesday marked the official end of tax filing season, according to an internal memo obtained by CBS News that has circulated among IRS employees this week. The memo said that the IRS will send Reduction in Force (RIF) notices on a biweekly basis. The RIF plan also states the agency will go from 102,000 employees to its targeted "ending figures" of 60,000 to 70,000. News of the memo was first reported by the Federal News Network . There was a deadline of April 14 from the Office of Personnel Management for agencies to submit RIF plans for their approval. It is not known yet if the IRS's plan has been fully approved by the Treasury Department or OPM. April 15 marked the official deadline for most taxpayers to file taxes, though if a taxpayer is granted an extension , they have until Oct. 15 to file without penalty. According to the memo, the IRS will have two RIF phases, with an evaluation of the first phase to be conducted in August. In a list of "core functions" at the agency, the Office of Civil Rights, the Taxpayer Experience Office, the Transformation Strategy Office and the Online Services Office are designated to have a "high" level of cuts during phase one, according to the memo. In phase two, those offices are listed as "Consolidate." The memo also states that there will be a "high" level of cuts for "taxpayer services and compliance" employees during phase two. "Career executives" will also undergo another RIF in between the two phases, according to the memo. In response to the memo on the RIF plan, a Treasury spokesperson wrote that the reductions "currently being considered" at the IRS are "part of — and driven by — process improvements and technological innovations that will allow the IRS to collect revenue and serve taxpayers more effectively." "The roll back of wasteful Biden-era hiring surges, and consolidation of critical support functions are vital to improve both efficiency and quality of service. The Secretary is committed to ensuring that efficiency is realized while providing the collections, privacy, and customer service the American people deserve," the spokesperson added. The goal of the cutbacks could be helped by over 20,000 IRS employees who are expected to leave the agency through the IRS's own Deferred Resignation Program offer, known as DRP 2.0, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation. This was first reported by Bloomberg Tax . Acting commissioner Melanie Krause and other senior leaders have opted into that program , and could leave the agency as soon as April 28. When asked about the 20,000 leaving via the DRP 2.0, the Treasury spokesperson pointed to the Biden administration growing the IRS by over 22,000 employees through $80 billion in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act. "Under new leadership, approximately the same number of employees have left the IRS, with a vast majority leaving voluntarily through the Deferred Resignation Program," they said.
