The U.S. Education Department has offered a $25,000 payout to any staffers who decide to quit before potential layoffs.
The big picture: The department sent out an email to employees on a Friday, giving them until the following Monday at midnight to decide.
- Employees who are ineligible for the payout include those who have not been employed at the department for three years, those who recently received a bonus or other award, and those who received a student loan repayment benefit in the last three years.
- The payout is described as a one-time offer in advance of a “very significant” Reduction in Force for the department.
Go deeper: Some employees have been placed on administrative leave as the Trump administration considers potential complete shutdown of the department.
- The email coincides with Linda McMahon’s confirmation as Education Secretary by the Senate. McMahon expressed a desire to see certain programs from the Department of Education move to other federal agencies, aligning with President Trump’s goal to return education control to the states.
