DOT encouraged more resignations, now scrambles to retain some employees.
In early April, the Transportation Department extended a new “deferred resignation” offer to its employees. However, the response has been so overwhelming that the agency is now requesting some individuals to reconsider their decision.
TroibNews 
A significant number of workers at the Transportation Department have accepted a second deferred resignation offer, prompting some employees to be asked to reconsider their decisions, according to two individuals familiar with the situation, who spoke to PMG on condition of anonymity.
Approximately 4,700 individuals across the department have applied for this second resignation offer, as reported by three sources who also requested anonymity to candidly discuss the figures. This represents about 9 percent of the agency's total workforce, which exceeds 55,000, with around 45,000 employees working at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“It’s a shit show, honestly. I feel for HR because this is a mess they didn’t create,” one DOT employee, who requested anonymity due to their lack of authorization to speak with the media, expressed regarding the turmoil.
On Wednesday, the DOT clarified that the actual number of applicants is closer to just under 4,000. A department spokesperson emphasized that the offer “is just one part of our effort to make DOT more efficient and accountable to the taxpayer,” noting that workers involved in safety-critical roles are exempt from the offer. Additionally, the spokesperson asserted, “Our teams are layered with redundancies to ensure efficiency initiatives will not compromise safety.”
It remains unclear how many employees opting to resign are from the FAA, which has been dealing with the repercussions of a January plane crash that resulted in the deaths of 67 people when a passenger jet collided with a military helicopter in Washington.
The number of resignations following the second offer would add to the approximately 2,000 employees who either accepted the first offer or were dismissed during mass firings of probationary workers since President Donald Trump's administration began.
The reported figure of 4,700 is subject to modification, given the agency's ability to exempt certain employees or categories of workers, particularly those who perform safety functions. However, how these numbers break down among subagencies remains unclear.
During a call with staff on Tuesday, Matthew Welbes, executive director at the Federal Transit Administration, indicated that he does not anticipate any large-scale layoffs at his agency due to the high number of employees who have accepted the resignation offer, according to a source who attended the call and spoke anonymously.
On April 1, the DOT presented employees with a second opportunity to partake in a program referred to as “deferred resignation.” This program provides pay and benefits through September in exchange for voluntary departure from the agency. An initial round of this offer in early February resulted in over 1,100 workers leaving, including around 700 from the FAA.
The second offer was open until April 7. Exempted from participating in the program are employees whose roles are focused on safety, such as air traffic controllers.
This initiative is part of a larger strategy by the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s DOGE cost-cutting team aimed at reducing the federal workforce. The DOT was required to submit an initial plan for a mass layoff, known as a reduction in force, to the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budget by mid-March.
As of now, the department has not initiated any reduction in force, contrary to earlier expectations.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
Approximately 4,700 individuals across the department have applied for this second resignation offer, as reported by three sources who also requested anonymity to candidly discuss the figures. This represents about 9 percent of the agency's total workforce, which exceeds 55,000, with around 45,000 employees working at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
“It’s a shit show, honestly. I feel for HR because this is a mess they didn’t create,” one DOT employee, who requested anonymity due to their lack of authorization to speak with the media, expressed regarding the turmoil.
On Wednesday, the DOT clarified that the actual number of applicants is closer to just under 4,000. A department spokesperson emphasized that the offer “is just one part of our effort to make DOT more efficient and accountable to the taxpayer,” noting that workers involved in safety-critical roles are exempt from the offer. Additionally, the spokesperson asserted, “Our teams are layered with redundancies to ensure efficiency initiatives will not compromise safety.”
It remains unclear how many employees opting to resign are from the FAA, which has been dealing with the repercussions of a January plane crash that resulted in the deaths of 67 people when a passenger jet collided with a military helicopter in Washington.
The number of resignations following the second offer would add to the approximately 2,000 employees who either accepted the first offer or were dismissed during mass firings of probationary workers since President Donald Trump's administration began.
The reported figure of 4,700 is subject to modification, given the agency's ability to exempt certain employees or categories of workers, particularly those who perform safety functions. However, how these numbers break down among subagencies remains unclear.
During a call with staff on Tuesday, Matthew Welbes, executive director at the Federal Transit Administration, indicated that he does not anticipate any large-scale layoffs at his agency due to the high number of employees who have accepted the resignation offer, according to a source who attended the call and spoke anonymously.
On April 1, the DOT presented employees with a second opportunity to partake in a program referred to as “deferred resignation.” This program provides pay and benefits through September in exchange for voluntary departure from the agency. An initial round of this offer in early February resulted in over 1,100 workers leaving, including around 700 from the FAA.
The second offer was open until April 7. Exempted from participating in the program are employees whose roles are focused on safety, such as air traffic controllers.
This initiative is part of a larger strategy by the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s DOGE cost-cutting team aimed at reducing the federal workforce. The DOT was required to submit an initial plan for a mass layoff, known as a reduction in force, to the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budget by mid-March.
As of now, the department has not initiated any reduction in force, contrary to earlier expectations.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
