A day before the federal government shut down this month, a senior Pentagon official signed a memo that could make it easier for the Defense Department to fire employees.
In the Sept. 30 memo, titled “Separation of Employees with Unacceptable Performance,” Anthony Tata, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, outlined new guidelines that directed supervisors and human resources personnel to “act with speed and conviction” to facilitate separating poor-performing employees from the Defense Department.
“Supervisors will work with HR to issue the written notice of proposed removal detailing specific performance deficiencies and consistent failures of an employee to meet quality standards, deadlines, or productivity targets,” the memo says.
The Washington Post first reported the memo.
The new policy essentially accelerates the turnaround time to dismiss an employee.
Human resources, in coordination with legal counsel, will be allotted 10 calendar days to advise the supervisor about supporting documents for removal, the memo says, and the employee will be allowed seven calendar days to respond to the termination notice, “or as consistent with collective bargaining agreements.”
A “deciding official” will be charged with reviewing the notice and the employee’s response and providing a written decision within 30 calendar days of the proposed termination notice.
The memo also holds managers at all levels accountable for addressing poor employee performance.
In response to a request for comment, a Pentagon official told NBC News: “The Secretary of War’s September 30th memos went into effect when he signed them.”
“The Department is in the process of adapting to the new guidance outlined in Under Secretary of War Tata’s memo from September 30th and we have nothing specific to share at this time,” the official added.
The top Democrats and Republicans on the House and Senate Armed Services committees did not immediately provide comments Tuesday night.
Firings at the Pentagon have been ongoing since Pete Hegseth became defense secretary under President Donald Trump. He has terminated several senior leaders with ties to the Biden administration or those who are not viewed as being aligned with the Trump administration, including Gen. C.Q. Brown, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Adm. Lisa Francetti, the former chief of naval operations.
NBC News reported last month that according to two defense officials, Hegseth directed staff members to identify any military members who had mocked or shown support for the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
The Trump administration overall has sought to drastically reduce the government workforce, effectively dismantling some agencies and imposing so-called reductions in force at numerous departments. However, efforts to further reduce staffing through widespread layoffs during the government shutdown have hit legal roadblocks. A federal judge in Oregon on Tuesday blocked the administration from implementing mass firings until the government reopens.
Hegseth, who has pledged to trim the military’s officer corps by up to 20%, addressed personnel changes in a speech before hundreds of generals in Quantico, Virginia, in late September.
“In many ways, this speech is about fixing decades of decay, some of it obvious, some of it hidden, or as the chairman has put it, we are clearing out the debris, removing the distractions, clearing the way for leaders to be leaders,” Hegseth said.
“More leadership changes will be made, of that I’m certain, not because we want to but because we must. Once again, this is life and death. The sooner we have the right people, the sooner we can advance the right policies. Personnel is policy,” he added.
Gary Grumbach contributed.