The U.S. Department of Education on March 11 announced that 1,315 employees—about half its workforce—will be laid off within 90 days as part of its ongoing cost-saving measures.
A senior official told reporters in a press call that the staff reduction addresses redundancies in the communications, human resources, information technology, and other offices within the department.
The affected workers were to be notified via email at 6 p.m. on March 11. The Washington, D.C., office will be closed on March 12 for safety protocols, and the senior official said the workers are expected to work remotely with full pay and benefits through March 21. They will then be placed on administrative leave, with pay, through June 9.
The laid-off staffers will be awarded severance payments based on their years of service, with the most senior members receiving up to 20 weeks of salary.
The agency said about 600 of its 4,133 employees have already agreed to leave voluntarily, including 313 who accepted $25,000 buyout offers last week.
Department of Education offices outside of Washington, including New York, Boston, Dallas, Chicago, and San Francisco, will be closed. The dates are based on current leases and were not revealed. The senior