Federal Workers Recalled After Nine-Month Hiatus Amid GSA Reversals
(TSN): Hundreds of federal employees who were laid off during Elon Musk’s , marking a dramatic reversal in staffing decisions that disrupted key government operations earlier this year.
According to an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press, the General Services Administration (GSA) has issued formal reinstatement offers to employees who previously managed federal workspaces across the country. These workers have until the end of this week to accept or decline the offer, with a mandatory return-to-duty date set for October 6.
The reversed decision follows months of operational strain and unexpected costs incurred by the GSA, which had attempted to shutter or buy out dozens of property leases as part of Musk’s aggressive downsizing strategy. Despite the layoffs, many of the facilities remained in useto somw extempt and continued to incur operational expenses. This was somewhat counter productive to eliminating wasteful spendung. One official described A as “a seven-month paid vacation” for some displaced staff — a period during which taxpayers footed the bill for underutilized real estate.
While the GSA is leading the rehiring effort, sources familiar with the matter say other agencies affected by Musk’s restructuring —portions of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Veterans Affairs — are also quietly reinstating personnel. Many of the returning employees held roles in facilities management, logistics, and administrative support, functions that proved more difficult to outsource or automate than initially projected.
Criticism is coming from both sides of the aisle. Fiscal conservatives have questioned the optics of rehiring employees after months of taxpayer-funded downtime, while labor advocates argue the reinstatement is a tacit admission that the original layoffs were misguided.
“This is what happens when ideology trumps practicality,” said one senior GSA official who spoke on condition of anonymity. “We lost institutional knowledge, disrupted services, and ended up paying more to do less.”
The GSA has not publicly commented on the memo or the broader implications of the reinstatement effort. However, internal sources suggest the agency is under pressure to stabilize operations ahead of the new fiscal year and avoid further scrutiny from congressional oversight committees.
As the October 6 return date approaches, there is a pending government shut down during the same timeframe. Civil servants who want to rerurn to work may be affected by the furlough of Congress can nit come to a budget agreement.