VA dismisses over 1,400 probationary employees, saves $83 million

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced the dismissal of over 1,400 employees in non-mission critical positions, marking the second round of layoffs in less than two weeks. These cuts, which are expected to save over $83 million annually, will allow the VA to reallocate resources toward health care and services for veterans. VA Secretary Doug Collins stated that the layoffs were difficult but necessary for better resource allocation, and emphasized that critical roles such as Veterans Crisis Line responders were not affected. The dismissals primarily involve probationary employees who have served less than two years and do not impact the nearly 40,000 employees in mission-critical roles. The VA continues to hire for over 300,000 mission-critical positions exempt from the federal hiring freeze. The recent layoffs align with broader efforts under the Trump administration to reduce government size by cutting positions deemed non-essential, including those related to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.