The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the US is bracing for its first wave of nonvoluntary layoffs, as a part of a government-wide reduction in force (RIF).
It has announced that it will cut 80% of the workforce in its Office of Civil Rights and Compliance (OCRC), formerly known as the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion.
So far this year, the OCRC has seen a reduction of about 5% in staffing through attrition and the Office of Personnel Management’s deferred resignation offer.
However, a further 75% of the office’s employees will be laid off as part of the RIF.
The remaining workforce will be reassigned to report to the Office of Chief Counsel to fulfil statutory responsibilities.
The IRS has indicated that future phases of the RIF will affect additional offices.
Employees who receive a RIF notice will have between 30 to 60 days before their separation from the agency.
IRS states: “This action is being taken to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the IRS in accordance with agency priorities and the Workforce Optimization Initiative outlined in a recent Executive Order.”
To mitigate the impact, the IRS has obtained approval from the Office of Personnel Management to offer Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) and Voluntary Separation Incentive Payment (VSIP), with more details to be shared with employees in the following week.
Amidst these developments, the IRS is imposing a freeze on most personnel reassignments and relocations.
Employees have been instructed to upload their current resumes to the agency’s HR portal, which will enable the Human Capital Office to evaluate each individual’s qualifications during the RIF process.
The IRS had previously begun rehiring probationary employees who were laid off earlier under the Trump administration.
These employees were invited to rejoin by 14 April, following a federal judge’s directive to reinstate those who were dismissed during their probationary period.
