Pentagon orders managers to fire civilian workers with ‘speed and conviction’
In a significant shift in personnel management, the Pentagon has recently issued a memo that removes key protections for civilian workers, urging managers to act swiftly to terminate underperforming employees. This directive, titled “Separation of Employees with Unacceptable Performance,” was released on September 30, just before the government shutdown, and emphasizes the need for accountability among supervisors regarding employee performance. Under Secretary of War Anthony Tata, who signed the memo, instructs that managers should not only act with “speed and conviction” but also face consequences if they fail to address poor performance. This memo comes at a time when nearly half of the Defense civilian workforce has been furloughed due to the ongoing government shutdown, raising concerns about the timing and implications of such drastic measures.
Critics of the memo worry about its potential misuse, suggesting that the broad guidelines could be weaponized to dismiss employees who may not align with the current administration’s policies. The Washington Post reported that some managers fear that the criteria for “unacceptable performance” are vague enough to allow for arbitrary firings. The memo also introduces a more subjective approach to job evaluations, as it instructs managers to utilize the Douglas Factors—criteria used in federal job evaluations—but adds language that could alter the interpretation of these factors. This change aims to give supervisors more flexibility in addressing performance issues, but it raises questions about fairness and transparency in the evaluation process.
The Pentagon’s push for a more aggressive stance on employee performance aligns with the broader efforts of Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, who has been vocal about the need to remove what he describes as “debris” obstructing the implementation of the Trump administration’s agenda. In a recent speech, Hegseth emphasized that “personnel is policy,” indicating that having the right people in positions is crucial for advancing the administration’s goals. As the Pentagon navigates these new guidelines amidst ongoing furloughs and legal challenges to employee firings, the future of its civilian workforce hangs in the balance, with potential implications for morale and operational effectiveness within the Department of Defense.
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The Pentagon
has pulled key protections for its civilian workers and instructed managers to move with “speed and conviction” to fire underperforming workers, according to a memo issued last month.
The guidelines were issued on Sept. 30, just one day before the government shutdown, in a memo titled “Separation of Employees with Unacceptable Performance” to eliminate workers with “unacceptable” performance reviews.
“Supervisors and human resources (HR) professionals are directed to act with speed and conviction to facilitate the separation from Federal service of employees performing unsuccessfully,” reads the memo signed by Under Secretary of War Anthony Tata, the Pentagon’s top personnel policy officer.
The memo also states that managers will be held accountable for not addressing “poor employee performance.”
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Some managers fear that the guidelines are too broad to where they could be used to fire anyone who does not support the Trump administration’s programs, according to The Washington Post.
It is unclear how many employees have been fired since the memo was issued last month.
“The Department is in the process of adapting to the new guidance outlined in Under Secretary of War Tata’s memo from September 30th and we have nothing specific to share at this time,” the Pentagon said in a statement to The Washington Post.
Nearly half of the Defense civilian workforce have been furloughed during the ongoing shutdown. The administration attempted to fire thousands of furloughed employees earlier this month, but the effort was blocked by a federal court.
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The civilian firings are part of a larger effort by Pentagon chief
Pete Hegseth
to eliminate the “debris” he purports is standing in the way of his mission to carry out Trump’s agenda.
“The sooner we have the right people, the sooner we can advance the right policies. Personnel is policy,” Hegseth said last month during a speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico.
The memo makes it easier for managers to fire
Defense civilian workers
, creating additional subjectivity for job performance evaluations.
Managers are directed to cite criteria used in federal job evaluations known as Douglas Factors, but each factor in the new memo added language that could impact some of those considerations.
“Every DoW position supports the mission, so deficiencies in any role can warrant strong action,” the memo reads under the Douglas Factor section that involves an employee’s roles and responsibilities.
The factors allow managers “flexibility to address performance issues swiftly and effectively,” according to the memo.
“This approach empowers supervisors to act decisively when performance undermines DoW’s objectives, reinforcing a culture of excellence. Supervisors are to use the Douglas Factors in consideration of their action,” the memo added.
Eric
Eric is a seasoned journalist covering US Politics news.
