US Transportation Department sends new buyout offer to employees

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Transportation Department on Tuesday sent thousands of employees a new buyout offer to leave government service in exchange for pay and benefits through Sept. 30.

The USDOT offer - which requires employees to decide by April 7 - exempts public safety positions like Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers and aviation safety inspectors as well as railroad safety inspectors, pipeline and hazardous materials safety inspectors and cybersecurity employees.

USDOT has a workforce of about 57,000, according to a government website.

In February, about 75,000 federal employees across the government agreed to take part in the first round of the deferred resignation program led by Elon Musk's DOGE team, which has been tasked with cutting the size of the federal workforce.

A USDOT spokesperson said the department was exempting safety-critical employees but providing workers "a second chance to leave voluntarily. This is just one part of our effort to make DOT more efficient and accountable to the taxpayer."

Other federal agencies are offering second chances for employees to take the offer including the Agriculture Department.

President Donald Trump gave federal agencies until March 13 to prepare for a wave of mass layoffs through "reduction in force" plans as part of his rapid-fire effort to reduce the size of the federal government.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has not disclosed details of his reduction in force plan but has reiterated he would not cut safety-critical positions.

The USDOT email said employees taking the buyout will not be subject to an involuntary layoff.

Other positions exempted include U.S. Merchant Marine Academy staff and jobs supporting the maintenance and operations of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway locks, and motor carrier safety specialists.

The administration came under fire for initially offering buyouts to air traffic controllers and other safety workers - when in fact there are serious shortages of those workers - but it later reversed course. The FAA wants to hire 2,000 air traffic controller trainees this year.

A judge last month also ordered USDOT to reinstate hundreds of probationary employees who were dismissed in February along with other federal agencies.

The National Transportation Safety Board, an independent agency that investigates transportation accidents, said last week it did not submit a reduction in force plan.

(Reporting by David Shepardson in WashingtonEditing by Matthew Lewis)

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