Federal government agency, VA, prepares to impose restrictions on workforce size, eliminate certain positions, and tighten the screws on recruitment procedures.
The Veterans Affairs (VA) Department is moving forward with a plan to reorganize, as announced by VA Secretary Doug Collins. As part of this reorganization, a new staffing baseline has been set for the department, effective October 1, 2025.
The staffing baseline will be determined by department performance, mission needs, and assessments of available resources. Each unit within the VA will receive their individual staffing baselines. For regional hospital units, this includes clinical and support staff, although specific roles targeted for removal have not been detailed.
VA Secretary Collins has also set a high-level number for staffing for each assistant secretary-level office. Each administration-health, benefits, and cemeteries-as well as staff offices will create organizational charts showing current and reduced staffing levels, due next week.
All undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, and other key officials throughout VA will set their own staffing caps. The department's Manpower Management Service will conduct a final clearing out of positions exceeding the secretary's caps in October. By the end of September, all "excess positions" above the secretary's approved baseline will be eliminated from VA's HR Smart database.
The VA is conducting a "VA-wide review of its mission" and structure as part of the reorganization. Mark Engelbaum, a VA assistant secretary, stated that the staffing baseline was determined "in conjunction with the enterprise-wide review."
The department currently has 461,000 total employees, with more than 40,000 vacant positions as of July 1. The VA plans to cut 30,000 employees through various incentives and attrition. However, the department does not foresee or anticipate the need for any "large-scale" reduction in force.
It is important to note that the process of eliminating excess positions is not yet clear for each office. The expectation is that some number of unfilled positions will be eliminated, but not those currently staffed. The VA is eliminating positions that exceed their new staffing caps.
Starting October 1, VA components cannot create new positions above the secretary's baseline without special permission. The enterprise-level reviews of organizational charts will ensure compliance with the secretary's workforce baseline.
This reorganization is a significant step towards improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the VA, ensuring that resources are allocated in a way that best serves the needs of veterans. As more details about the staffing changes become available, we will continue to provide updates on this developing story.
Read also:
- Understanding Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis: Key Facts
- Stopping Osteoporosis Treatment: Timeline Considerations
- Trump's Policies: Tariffs, AI, Surveillance, and Possible Martial Law
- Expanded Community Health Involvement by CK Birla Hospitals, Jaipur, Maintained Through Consistent Outreach Programs Across Rajasthan
