Scoop: CDC employees respond to Trump resignation offer: "It's an insult to public servants." Some consider unionizing.
Officials contemplating early retirement, those who work remotely, or who were already leaving for other jobs might take the money, though, because, "Why not?"
In recent days, mass censorship at the CDC has been a focus. But another potential crisis is looming there—the prospect of mass firings. I was curious to learn how CDC employees see the next few days and weeks. What I discovered in conversations with around half a dozen of them (of whom five are quoted below) yesterday was genuinely surprising—and in some cases encouraging and inspiring. I hope you’ll join me in supporting these deeply committed scientists by speaking out for them.
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Most CDC employees not fooled by Trump’s buyout offer, won’t go without a fight.
Last week, President Trump’s Office of Personnel Management offered millions of US federal employees eight months of compensation in exchange for their resignations. Since that time, scores of employees at USAID have been terminated, which many have interpreted as a warning shot meant to encourage mass capitulation at other agencies.
It’s not working as hoped, I learned. At the CDC, President Trump’s gambit appears to have been a dud—at least so far among many committed rank-and-file employees. “I’m not taking the deferred resignation,” one career CDC official told me. “It’s an insult to public servants, honestly. We are here because we believe in the mission. This smacks of desperation.”
Another current CDC employee echoed that sentiment, saying that nobody they knew at the agency was seriously considering a deferred resignation. More pointedly, the employee agreed with a characterization of the administration's offer as bullshit.
A third current full-time CDC employee’s description was consistent with the others. “Not among my circles,” that official said when asked if anyone they worked closely with was thinking about taking the offer. That official recounted that there had been some initial discussion about the “fork in the road deal,” but that it had quickly become clear that the deal was not legitimate, and key parts (including being paid after resignation) were possibly not legal. Organizations including the Partnership for Public Service have been holding webinars to educate and advise CDC employees, Inside Medicine was told. “We chatted about it this evening in one of my larger employee groups on Signal. No one stated they were interested.”
Some CDC employees in distinct circumstances may take the deal—which will paradoxically cost the government money.
There appear to be a few exceptions to the overall “meh,” at the agency so far. One exception, it seems, may be employees who were recently hired, one of the sources told me. “A probationary employee or two are considering it,” one of the officials told me. Employees in their first year at the CDC are more easily removed, making it a potentially bigger gamble for those individuals to spurn the offer. “It’s brutal,” the official said.
Another group of CDC employees more inclined to take the deal are remote workers who don’t live near CDC office buildings, mainly in Atlanta or Washington, D.C. The Trump administration has stated it wants to end most remote work. So, for CDC employees who were hired since 2020 and have always worked remotely, the writing could be on the wall. In that case, why not quit instead of being fired for not showing up, and take some free money in the meantime? “For me I am under threat because I’m remote,” a fourth CDC official I spoke to said. “They could fire me anyway. So what should I do?”
Yet another group of CDC officials considered more likely to take the offer are those who had already planned to leave the agency for another job, or to retire soon. A fifth CDC employee who recently accepted a “dream job” outside of the CDC is still deciding what to do. Ironically, if this CDC official takes the offer, they’ll be getting paid to quit. (They already having another job lined up.) This would end up costing the government money, rather than saving it, as this employee was planning to resign regardless of the offer. Why not take the free money? It boils down to the fine print in the contract, the official said. “What happens if I make this deal with the devil?” that official wondered aloud, a sentiment reflecting the complete lack of trust toward the new administration.
Trump administration scrambling, trying to make the offer enticing.
Indeed, the administration had hoped that millions of federal employees would quickly jump at the offer. So far, it hasn’t happened.
Part of that, according to one of the employees, is a “bad taste” left by the original announcement. “That productivity line was not well-received,” that official said, referencing an administration document that invited federal workers to leave “lower productivity jobs in the public sector [for] higher productivity jobs in the private sector.” CDC officials don’t think of themselves as “low-productivity.”
Since that gaffe, the administration has updated its list of Frequently Asked Questions about the offer on several occasions, attempting to “sweeten the deal,” one of the officials said. These efforts included an email sent this last evening seeking to assure federal employees that, despite widespread concerns, the contracts would be valid and honored, even if the government were to have a shut down.
Still, intense skepticism remains. Elon Musk was sued when, after buying Twitter, ex-employees said he didn’t pay them severance packages that were owed. CDC employees apparently remember that news cycle.
So, while the rates of uptake for the administration’s deferred resignation plans have been low so far, some employees may still take the offer, which expires on February 6. “They keep adding to the FAQs to try to convince people to sign up,” the remote worker told me.
An unexpected consequence: CDC scientists consider unionization.
The Trump administration’s general attack on various assets within the US public health system has had one unintended effect however, Inside Medicine learned this evening: some CDC scientists and medical providers are considering unionizing. “The administration definitely doesn’t want that to happen,” one of the CDC sources told me. While some CDC employees are already unionized (and others are covered by different collective bargaining agreements), many are not, including some scientific officers at the agency. Depending on contract details, some CDC employees are barred from unionizing (or from joining specific existing unions, like AFGE), but not others. “We were advised that we can still organize but need to form a different bargaining unit,” one non-unionized CDC scientist told me.
It appears that the fight is heating up…
That’s what we know for now. Thanks for reading, sharing, speaking out, and supporting Inside Medicine! Please ask your questions in the comments and if you can’t upgrade due to financial considerations, just email me.
Thank you for keeping us updated. Please continue with the Good Fight!
So easy for me to write but I am praying they hold the line. I am appalled at what's transpired over these weeks and I already thought I was expecting the worst. If you are on Facebook, highly recommend following Alt National Parks. They're doing their best to communicate to federal employees as well as the American public.