TL/DR –
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) laid off approximately 1,300 staff at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only to attempt to rehire many of them, particularly those involved with the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The layoffs came amidst a government shutdown and following threats of mass firings by the Trump administration. However, as of Sunday evening, October 12, about 700 of the previously laid off staffers had been notified that their layoffs were made in error.
Weekend Chaos: Layoffs and Rehiring at CDC Sparks Confusion
Over the weekend of October 10-12, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) laid off approximately 1,300 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) staff. However, in a surprising twist, many of these layoffs were shortly rescinded, with reports on October 12 suggesting roughly 700 of the dismissed staff had their layoffs reversed due to an alleged error. Among those rehired were key contributors to the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
HHS Rehires CDC Experts Following Reduction Error
According to a report by POLITICO, many of the HHS employees who received reduction-in-force notices are now being rehired. The rehired personnel include staff working on critical reports, the director’s office of the Global Health Center, and staff involved in the measles response and Ebola outbreak response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Reemployed Workers Include Disease Detectives and Lab Safety Specialists
Fellows from the Laboratory Leadership Service, dealing with lab safety and testing accuracy, are being rehired. In addition, many Epidemic Intelligence Service officers – specialists in disease outbreak investigations – had their layoffs rescinded. Furthermore, a former CDC official revealed that Sara Patterson, the acting director of the Public Health Infrastructure Center, was rehired.
Trump Administration Rushes to Correct Missteps
An article by The New York Times revealed that the Trump administration raced to cancel the erroneous layoffs at the CDC, particularly those affecting the top two leaders of the federal measles response team. Other affected roles included members of the Epidemic Intelligence Service and the team that compiles the CDC’s critical scientific journal – The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
MSNBC Report Highlights Rehirings and Layoff Details
MSNBC’s Brandy Zadrozny reported that late-night emails announced the sudden layoffs on a Friday, which affected scientists and public health officials across multiple departments. However, many of those laid off were later reinstated. The Department of Health and Human Services representative disclosed to MSNBC that approximately half of the firings were made in error.
Layoff Notices Sent by Mistake, Says Spokesman
On Sunday, October 12, BBC’s Grace Eliza Goodwin reported that according to a US health department spokesperson, some CDC layoff notices were mistakenly sent out. All affected employees have since been notified of their continued employment. The union confirmed that of the 1,300 CDC employees initially fired, about 700 were reinstated the next day.
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