The Department of Transportation (DOT) is facing a major staffing crisis after a cost-cutting initiative led to far more resignations than anticipated. Around 4,700 employees, approximately 9% of the agency's workforce, volunteered for a second round of resignations, with the majority coming from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
This follows an earlier round of resignations and firings under the Trump administration's cost-cutting efforts, spearheaded by Elon Musk. The program offered employees pay and benefits through September in exchange for voluntary resignation.
While DOT officials assure the public that safety will not be compromised, there are concerns about potential operational disruptions, especially within the FAA, given the already strained situation following a recent deadly plane crash. The current situation is described by DOT employees as a "s*** show."
The agency's response to the mass resignations has been criticized. Employees describe the agency's "career transition" workshops, aimed at helping them transition to the private sector, as insulting. They perceive this and other actions like enforcing a dress code as further slights against federal workers.
The large-scale resignations within the DOT, particularly the FAA, raise serious concerns about potential disruptions and the broader impact of the Trump administration's cost-cutting measures.