U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Employees’ Mass Termination: All you may want to know

More than 400 employees of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service were dismissed in a video conference call on February 14. The agency cited workforce planning as the reason for the terminations. Employees were informed about the decision during a 20-minute virtual meeting. They later received official emails confirming their dismissal.

Mass Termination

On February 14, more than 400 employees of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service were fired. The employees were informed through a video conference call. The meeting was held between human resources officials and probationary employees. It lasted nearly 20 minutes. Some employees recorded the call. One recording captured an employee sobbing in the background.

An agency administrator opened the meeting. They informed employees about the difficult news. They acknowledged the impact of the decision. Three Fish & Wildlife managers conveyed the details of the layoffs.


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Email Confirmation

During the call, employees were told they would receive an official email. The email would explain that the termination resulted from workforce planning. The U.S. Department of Interior, which oversees Fish & Wildlife, made the decision. Employees were informed that they would lose access to internal systems soon after.

A different email followed. It stated that the employees' skills no longer met the agency’s needs. This message was harsher than what was mentioned in the call. Many fired workers discussed this email among themselves after their dismissal.

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Impact

The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service focuses on conservation. The agency protects fish, wildlife and habitats. As of 2020, the agency employed about 8,300 people. It manages more than 570 national wildlife refuges and 70 fish hatcheries.

The layoffs affected a significant portion of the workforce. Acting Chief of Public Affairs, Laury Marshall, responded to inquiries. She stated that the department does not comment on litigation related to personnel matters.

FAQs

Why were more than 400 U.S. Fish & Wildlife employees fired?
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service terminated these employees due to workforce planning. The U.S. Department of Interior, which oversees the agency, made the decision.

How did employees learn about their termination?
Employees were informed during a 20-minute video conference call. They later received emails confirming their termination and loss of system access.