HHS staff face new performance review rules after DOGE
WASHINGTON, May 23, 2025. Federal employees at the Department of Health and Human Services have been ordered to submit 6,000-character self-assessments by Friday, marking the latest escalation in tensions between HHS staff and the Trump administration. According to federal employees who told STAT, this change to the annual performance review process is part of broader administration guidance aimed at "calibrating" employee rankings. Officials stated the measure is necessary to make high ratings more meaningful and to promote more consistent and credible ratings across agencies. However, the directive has been met with suspicion by federal health workers, many of whom remain traumatized by layoffs during the Department of Government Efficiency era and continued departures from the agency. The new requirements arrive as the department continues to navigate workforce reductions and policy shifts under current leadership.
WASHINGTON, May 23, 2025. Federal employees at the Department of Health and Human Services have been ordered to submit 6,000-character self-assessments by Friday, marking the latest escalation in tensions between HHS staff and the Trump administration. According to federal employees who told STAT, this change to the annual performance review process is part of broader administration guidance aimed at "calibrating" employee rankings. Officials stated the measure is necessary to make high ratings more meaningful and to promote more consistent and credible ratings across agencies. However, the directive has been met with suspicion by federal health workers, many of whom remain traumatized by layoffs during the Department of Government Efficiency era and continued departures from the agency. The new requirements arrive as the department continues to navigate workforce reductions and policy shifts under current leadership.