NASA Reduction In Force (RIF) implementation

[hektor]

NASA Watch The NASA RIF Has Begun

NASA Update – March 10, 2025
As I alluded to last week, we are all navigating a complex and ever-changing landscape together, and I want to share what that means for our team in the near term.
As directed by President Trump’s Executive Order, “Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Workforce Optimization Initiative,” all federal agencies, including NASA, have been instructed to submit an initial plan for reductions in force and reorganization. In compliance with this directive, we are actively working with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to develop a thoughtful approach that aligns with both administration priorities and our mission needs. While this will mean making difficult adjustments, we’re viewing this as an opportunity to reshape our workforce, ensuring we are doing what is statutorily required of us, while also providing American citizens with an efficient and effective agency.
In coordination with OPM, and the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, we began implementing a phased reduction in force, or RIF, today. These actions are occurring in advance of the agency’s RIF and reorganization plan as part of the broader governmentwide restructuring effort. We will close NASA’s Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy, the Office of the Chief Scientist, and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility branch in the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity, along with reducing their workforce.
Our colleagues impacted by these changes have been valued members of our team. Their hard work has helped shape our successes in recent years, and we are deeply grateful for all they have contributed.
We are committed to supporting our employees through this transition and sharing the appropriate information on available resources. At the same time, I want to acknowledge the uncertainty this may bring. I understand many may have questions, and while details remain in development, we will continue to be as open as possible throughout this process. Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available to you should you need it.
I know this news is difficult and may affect us all differently. Change of this magnitude is never easy, but our strength comes from our shared commitment to our mission and each other. I remain grateful for your professionalism and resilience, and I encourage you to support one another as we move forward.
Embrace the Challenge,
Janet

[zubenelgenubi: This thread is for NASA RIFs beyond that of probationary civil service employees.]

[Chris Bergin]

NASA comment to the media:

You may be hearing about a RIF at NASA today. We will close NASA’s Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy; the Office of the Chief Scientist, and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Branch of the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, along with reducing their workforce.

Below is our statement, attributed to an agency spokesperson, or me, if you need a name.

“To optimize our workforce, and in compliance with an Executive Order, NASA is beginning its phased approach to a reduction in force, known as a RIF. A small number of individuals received notification Monday they are a part of NASA’s RIF. If they’re eligible, those employees may opt to participate in the Voluntary Early Retirement Authority, or VERA, or complete the RIF process.”

[hektor]

Why send the original message posted by NASA Watch to the full NASA work force if the point is to only close a couple of very specialized offices ?

[yg1968]

Why send the original message posted by NASA Watch to the full NASA work force if the point is to only close a couple of very specialized offices ?

First, to avoid false rumors from spreading. Secondly, NASA employees shouldn't be finding out what is hapenning at their own agency through the media.

[russianhalo117]

Why send the original message posted by NASA Watch to the full NASA work force if the point is to only close a couple of very specialized offices ?

First, to avoid false rumors from spreading. Secondly, NASA employees shouldn't be finding out what is hapenning at their own agency through the media.

And thirdly this is a phased RIF plan and not everything has fully been announced regarding RIF and consolidation through reorganisation on the agency.

[hektor]

Marcia Smith's analysis about the RIF at NASA HQ.

[hektor]

SN NASA closes offices, lays off staff as it prepares for larger workforce reductions, March 10, Jeff Foust

The closure of the three offices, she said was “occurring in advance of the agency’s RIF and reorganization plan as part of the broader governmentwide restructuring effort.”

[catdlr]

Tracking DOGE’s impact on space and the federal workforce

https://spacenews.com/tracking-doges-impact-on-space-and-the-federal-workforce/

The article is continually updated, "the latest developments for each department, including what we don’t know. SpaceNews reporters are on Signal and welcome tips."

I would copy the link, bookmark it, and check it daily.

[yg1968]

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1927877957852266518

[jimvela]

... https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1927877957852266518...

Things are suddenly looking up!

[Navier–Stokes]

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1927877957852266518

The damage he has done will take many years to fix if it is even fixable at all.

[Robotbeat]

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1927877957852266518

The damage he has done will take many years to fix if it is even fixable at all.

Hard to say. A lot of what people blame on DOGE is really just Russell Vought and Musk actually opposed the science budget cuts. But good luck actually trying to convince anyone of that. Elon's the fall boy, and Trump likes it that way.

[yg1968]

https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1927877957852266518

The damage he has done will take many years to fix if it is even fixable at all.

Hard to say. A lot of what people blame on DOGE is really just Russell Vought and Musk actually opposed the science budget cuts. But good luck actually trying to convince anyone of that. Elon's the fall boy, and Trump likes it that way.

I don't think that Trump likes it but the media likes to portray Musk as the villain. In any event, Musk doesn't need to be taking all of these arrows. So his exit as a special government employee is good news. Somebody else can do this work in the background without all the negative publicity.

In terms of the FY26 Budget, I suppose that you can blame Russell Vought for it but I don't think that the FY26 Budget is a serious budget. OMB knows that this will never get 60 votes in the Senate. The only purpose of the FY26 Budget is to be able to argue that Republicans proposed something in order to reduce spending. But we already know how this will play out, there will be a CR for FY26, like there was for FY25. This is all for show but people and the media especially get caught up in it. That will likely continue.

[catdlr]

https://twitter.com/NASAWatch/status/1932245838979280917

NASA Sources report that OCOMM - #NASA Office of Communications - employees are saying that at least 60% of their staff need to take advantage of a NASA Deferred Resignation Program (DRP), Voluntary Early Retirement (VERA), and/or Voluntary Separation Incentive Program (VSIP) to leave the agency and do so by the deadline. Otherwise there is going to be an involuntary RIF beginning in August.

@NASA
 is moving ahead with implementing the implications of the White House FY 2026 NASA Budget Request (detail below) even before Congress has a chance to take up the budget. All positions at field centers are being eliminated and NASA HQ will go from 39.9 to 33.8 FTE overall the agency will go from 76.2 FTE to 33.8 FTE.

Even though this would seem like jumping the shark (no budget in place) the folks running NASA have been told that organizational changes and efficiency actions such as this are simply following various Executive Order directives and would be happening anyway regardless of where the FY 2026 budget lands.

[catdlr]

That's a 22% cut.

Jeff Foust
@jeff_foust
In an emailed statement, NASA says approximately 3,000 employees participated in the second deferred resignation program. Along with the 870 who participated in the first program and normal attrition, NASA's civil servant workforce will shrink to about 14,000 (from 18,000+).
5:42 PM · Jul 25, 2025

source: https://x.com/jeff_foust/status/1948906715346600038

[Robotbeat]

It’s a lot. A lot of people are leaving and even more are preparing to leave later. NASA leadership are good soldiers and are dutifully following the orders by OMB to eviscerate the workforce in congruence with the Presidential budget request, even though Congress is almost certain to restore most of NASA’s budget.

I suspect NASA is gonna be left with a ton of money and a need to try to hire more people as they’ve been cutting to the bone.

A lot of the people who have left or are about to leave are fairly new hires hired under “temporary” positions that cannot be renewed under the current federal hiring freeze. Some of the most capable civil servants have been cut because of this.

[yg1968]

One Fifth of NASA’s Workforce Take Voluntary Departure Options:
https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/one-fifth-of-nasas-workforce-take-voluntary-departure-options/

[catdlr]

NASA employees notified of intention to close Wallops Visitor Center | Latest News | http://wboc.com

https://x.com/fxsmurphy/status/1953632955244466367

[yg1968]

https://twitter.com/SenMarkKelly/status/1958634702920638794

[yg1968]

870 already left, ~3000 taken redundancy and will be leaving after their notice period.

Those are voluntary departures/retirement, not firings or layoffs. Only 23 employees have been laid off at NASA.

The term "voluntary" is a misnomer here, because EVERYONE knows that the Trump Administration is using all available means to forcefully reduce or kill off important skillsets within the U.S. Government.

So the "voluntary" departures are people trying, to the best of their ability, to make the best out of a bad situation. These are not happy departures, these are NOT voluntary. 

Do you have any proof of that at NASA? Voluntary usually means voluntary. It seems to me that you are making up stuff again.

I don't think you have been following any of the news since Trump came back into office, because otherwise you would know about the letters and communications that federal employees have been getting, and the job pressure they have been under to prove they are worthy for their current job.

And again, federal employees have been taking exit packages due to a lack of visibility into what would happen if they did NOT take the exit packages.

I know you support the current Administration, but it is disingenuous to say that all of these NASA employees are suddenly leaving their jobs because they no longer WANT their jobs. They are being pushed out, and these people are having to calculate how best to survive in their personal lives.

If you read Marcia Smith's article, the reduction in force at NASA was based on the assumption that the FY26 Budget would be adopted which seems very unlikely at this point. At least at NASA, Petro was able to prevent any pre-emptive reductions in force for now. The voluntary departures/retirement is another issue. From Marcia Smith's article, those can still be revoked prior to September 30th and NASA can even reject them. We will find out what happens soon enough as September 30th is just around the corner (although some retirements/departure happen later on, so we will have to wait and see for those).

The NASA email last night emphasized that the numbers are not final and could “fluctuate” based on whether an employee withdraws, the resignation is or is not approved, and whether the departure won’t take place until after January 9, 2026.

https://spacepolicyonline.com/news/one-fifth-of-nasas-workforce-take-voluntary-departure-options/

P.S. I am not advocating for reductions in force, I am just trying to prevent you from distorting the facts.