‘Morale is not great’: US Fish and Wildlife worker says she’s bracing to be fired
Some U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service workers were recently advised by a superior to ensure they have their latest pay stubs and whole records saved, in the event they’re among the next federal workers to be fired.
Workers would only have 30 minutes to compile everything in the event their access card is deactivated. It’s better to be prepared, he told staff, than to be fired and have personal items remaining in the office afterward.
As President Donald Trump’s administration and the “Department of Government Efficiency,” make changes to the federal workforce, some staff members at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are on edge.
They’re keeping bags near their desks so they can be prepared, according to one worker who grew up in Southeast D.C. and currently works for the agency. She asked not to be named in order to speak freely.
“It’s just hard to imagine what it’s going to be like to walk away from this,” she said.
The agency oversees biosecurity, helping to determine what animals and plants should be brought to various parts of the country. Workers are also tasked with protecting endangered species and upholding the Endangered Species Act. A worker preventing an animal infestation of planes and parts was among those who was fired, she said.
But recently, she said, 20% to 30% of her colleagues have lost their jobs, putting that mission in jeopardy. Their access cards stopped working, and they received a termination letter that cited poor performance, she said.
When the deferred resignation offer came out, she overheard one of her coworkers asking whether he should trust the message. She advised him not to, but another colleague recommended she tone down the skepticism.
Some agencies have pushed back on some of the administration’s directives, she said, and the Fish and Wildlife Service has had meetings about how to handle memos and executive orders.
“Our meetings are like, ‘Well, let’s take some mindfulness time. We all have to care for you,’” she said.
She and her colleagues have also taken issue with the way some of the administration’s memos have been worded.
“’You’re a drain on the public, and they voted, they’ve made their choice clear, and they don’t want you,’” she said. “I mean, that’s essentially the way these memos open.”
DOGE’s approach, she said, starts from the assumption that there are too many workers, “and we’re just going to fire people, and that’s going to solve the problem.”
She’s tried offering some of her desk items to her colleagues, but they won’t accept, fearful that they might not have a desk soon.
“The morale is not great,” she said.
In the midst of all the uncertainty, “I don’t expect to be employed. I kind of took bets with my friends,” she said.