Latest news with #ReductioninForce
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's DOGE Initiative Slammed As 'Broke Humpty Dumpty' While Former Insider Sahil Lavingia Spills Shocking Details: No Salary, No Role, Chaotic Work Culture And Abrupt Exit After Just 55 Days
Silicon Valley entrepreneur Sahil Lavingia, founder of Gumroad, provides a rare inside look at the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), previously led by Elon Musk. What Happened: On the Hard Fork podcast, recorded over a week ago, Lavingia discussed his 55-day stint at DOGE, embedded in the Department of Veterans Affairs. In the nearly hour-long podcast, Lavingia highlighted the chaotic and dysfunctional nature of DOGE since its early days. What was pitched as a bold effort to inject Silicon Valley know-how into the federal government instead turned into a disorganized and opaque operation, he says. Trending: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — 'There was no offer letter, no salary details, nothing.' Weeks into the job, he still didn't know how much he was being paid, 'I assume it's zero,' he says. The White House did not immediately respond to Benzinga's request for comment. Assigned to the VA without clarity on his role or direct reporting line, Lavingia was given a government laptop that couldn't run Python or Git. 'It was like being asked to cook with no equipment,' he said, describing the limits placed on DOGE engineers in federal environments. Despite the chaos, Lavingia said he intended to reduce inefficiencies without harming services to veterans. However, he noted DOGE's primary mandate focused on slashing contracts and reducing headcount, not shipping software or improving user experience. Lavingia describes DOGE's internal culture as being fundamentally at odds with the Federal workforce. 'I joked I was here to RIF everybody,' he said, referring to the Reduction in Force initiative and all he got in return was 'Dead silence.' He says his time at the department came to an abrupt end after speaking with a journalist. 'I was ghosted,' he says, after his access to GitHub was revoked without any concludes by saying that the effort was naive but well-intentioned. 'Mistakes were made,' he said. 'Hopefully, I was more the baby than the bathwater,' which is a play on the old saying 'Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater,' which means to say not to discard something valuable when trying to get rid of something undesirable. Why It Matters: Donald Trump's DOGE initiative has come under a lot of criticism in recent months, with the likes of Mark Cuban warning that 'this isn't a corporate turnaround, this is the United States of America.' Cuban argued that while he was in favor of improving efficiencies and cutting waste in government, he would approach it with a plan, and 'ready Fire Aim is not a plan' is not a plan. Several policy experts, such as Erik Nisbet of Northwestern University, have slammed DOGE as being 'very, very harmful,' and even 'extra governmental.' Nisbet compared its effects to 'a broke Humpty Dumpty,' and wondered if its damage could ever be undone. Meanwhile, Musk's brief tenure at DOGE was marked by aggressive job cuts across federal agencies, the dismantling of USAID and a series of controversial communications, including 'fork in the road' resignation emails. Read Next: The average American couple has saved this much money for retirement — How do you compare? Jeff Bezos-Backed Arrived Homes Hits A Big Sale On Charlotte Property – Investors Earning A 34.7% ReturnPhoto courtesy: Tada Images / UNLOCKED: 5 NEW TRADES EVERY WEEK. Click now to get top trade ideas daily, plus unlimited access to cutting-edge tools and strategies to gain an edge in the markets. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Trump's DOGE Initiative Slammed As 'Broke Humpty Dumpty' While Former Insider Sahil Lavingia Spills Shocking Details: No Salary, No Role, Chaotic Work Culture And Abrupt Exit After Just 55 Days originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Exclusive-DOGE-led software revamp to speed US job cuts even as Musk steps back
By Alexandra Alper WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The federal human resources agency at the heart of billionaire Elon Musk's efforts to slash the federal workforce is poised to roll out software to speed layoffs across the U.S. government, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The software could turbo-charge the rapid-fire effort to downsize the government at a time when a number of larger federal agencies are preparing to execute plans for mass layoffs of tens of thousands of workers. Some 260,000 government workers already have accepted buyouts, early retirement or been laid off since Republican President Donald Trump returned to the presidency in January, according to a Reuters tally. The process has been far from smooth. Some workers were mistakenly fired and had to be rehired. The software is an updated version of a decades-old Pentagon program, known as AutoRIF, that had been little used in recent years. Under direction from Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), software developers at the U.S. Office Of Personnel Management (OPM) have created a more user-friendly web-based version over the past few months that provides targets for layoffs much more quickly than the current labor-intensive manual process, four sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The program is poised to be rolled out to the agencies by OPM just as Musk steps back from DOGE, which has driven the downsizing effort, to focus more on Tesla and his other companies. AutoRIF's name comes from "Reduction in Force," a term used to describe mass layoffs. The revamped version has been given the more benign-sounding name "Workforce Reshaping Tool," three sources said. With the software revamp now complete, OPM will lead demonstrations, user testing and start adding new users in the coming weeks, one of the sources said. DOGE, OPM, the White House, Pentagon and Musk did not respond to requests for comment. Wired magazine was first to report on the revamp effort. But Reuters is reporting for the first time on the completion of that revamp, the capabilities of the new program, rollout plans and its new name. JOB-CUTTING SCYTHE Trump established DOGE to modernize government software, cut spending and drastically reduce the size of the federal workforce, which he complains is bloated and wasteful. DOGE has said it has saved more than $160 billion through cuts to federal contracts and staff, but it has given few details publicly about what it is doing to modernize technology to make the government more efficient. The update of the Pentagon software, which DOGE has not publicly confirmed, is the only known example of that effort bearing fruit. Currently, most federal RIFs are done manually - with HR employees poring over spreadsheets containing data on employee seniority, veteran status and performance, three sources told Reuters. The new software is being rolled out just as larger agencies such as the Department of Veterans Affairs are set to move forward with plans to eliminate some 80,000 jobs. The Internal Revenue Service has said it wants to slash its payrolls by 40%, according to media reports. The tool will allow agencies "to remove a massive number of federal employees from their positions," if it works, said Nick Bednar, an associate professor of law at the University of Minnesota who has been tracking the government layoffs. "What DOGE has started is going to continue without Elon Musk," Bednar said. AutoRIF was developed by the Pentagon more than a quarter century ago. It pulled data from its HR system, sifted through firing rules quickly and produced names of employees eligible to be laid off. But it was difficult to migrate it to other agencies, whose workers had to manually input data on potential candidates for dismissal, a cumbersome process that is subject to errors. The program, described as "clunky" by a 2020 Pentagon HR newsletter, also would allow only one employee to work on a RIF, two sources said. The upgrade makes it web-based, easing employee access to the tool while enabling multiple people to work on a mass layoff, three sources said. It also allows for the upload of employee data for analysis, freeing HR workers from having to manually input personal records of possible targets for dismissal. While speed is a clear advantage, the software could pose other challenges, according to Don Moynihan, a professor at the University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy. "If you automate bad assumptions into a process, then the scale of the error becomes far greater than an individual could undertake," Moynihan said. "It won't necessarily help them to make better decisions and it won't make those decisions more popular," Moynihan added. Trump's drive to downsize and reshape the government already has led to the gutting of entire agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development as well as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which seeks to protect Americans from financial abuses. The government overhaul has led to numerous lawsuits that seek to block the Trump administration from moving forward with some of the planned dismissals.
Time of India
09-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
DOGE working on updated version of decades-old Pentagon software that may accelerate Federal job cuts, claims report
The US government is reportedly preparing to deploy new software, developed under Elon Musk's DOGE initiative, that could significantly accelerate mass layoffs across federal agencies. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now According to a report by Reuters, The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), headed by Elon Musk has completed an updated version of decades-old Pentagon software, designed to streamline mass layoffs across federal agencies. The updated toll called Workforce Reshaping toll is said to accelerate the job cuts. Originally called AutoRIF (Reduction in Force), the software was created 25 years ago by the Pentagon. However, as per the Reuters report, under DOGE's directive, the developers at the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) have transformed it into a web-based system. This will now enable the agencies to recognise the target and speed up the manual process of layoffs. Since January 2025, approximately 260,000 federal employees have either accepted buyouts, taken early retirement, or been laid off. The Department of Veterans Affairs is preparing to cut 80,000 jobs, while the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) plans to reduce its workforce by 40%. The report also mentions that despite Elon Musk's recent decision to step back from DOGE to focus on Tesla and his other ventures, the software rollout is proceeding under OPM's leadership. The agency will soon begin demonstrations, user testing, and onboarding for federal departments. However, the legal experts have warned that the automated system could lead to widespread dismissals, potentially removing thousands of federal employees with minimal oversight. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Don Moynihan, a professor at the University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy told Reuters, "If you automate bad assumptions into a process, then the scale of the error becomes far greater than an individual could undertake. It won't necessarily help them to make better decisions and it won't make those decisions more popular.'
Economic Times
09-05-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
DOGE-led software revamp to speed US job cuts even as Elon Musk steps back
The federal human resources agency at the heart of billionaire Elon Musk's efforts to slash the federal workforce is poised to roll out software to speed layoffs across the U.S. government, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The software could turbo-charge the rapid-fire effort to downsize the government at a time when a number of larger federal agencies are preparing to execute plans for mass layoffs of tens of thousands of workers. Some 260,000 government workers already have accepted buyouts, early retirement or been laid off since Republican President Donald Trump returned to the presidency in January, according to a Reuters tally. The process has been far from smooth. Some workers were mistakenly fired and had to be rehired. The software is an updated version of a decades-old Pentagon program, known as AutoRIF, that had been little used in recent years. Under direction from Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), software developers at the U.S. Office Of Personnel Management (OPM) have created a more user-friendly web-based version over the past few months that provides targets for layoffs much more quickly than the current labour-intensive manual process, four sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The program is poised to be rolled out to the agencies by OPM just as Musk steps back from DOGE, which has driven the downsizing effort, to focus more on Tesla and his other companies. AutoRIF's name comes from "Reduction in Force," a term used to describe mass layoffs. The revamped version has been given the more benign-sounding name "Workforce Reshaping Tool," three sources said. With the software revamp now complete, OPM will lead demonstrations, user testing and start adding new users in the coming weeks, one of the sources said. DOGE, OPM, the White House, Pentagon and Musk did not respond to requests for comment. Wired magazine was first to report on the revamp effort. But Reuters is reporting for the first time on the completion of that revamp, the capabilities of the new program, rollout plans and its new name. Job-cutting Scythe Trump established DOGE to modernize government software, cut spending and drastically reduce the size of the federal workforce, which he complains is bloated and wasteful. DOGE has said it has saved more than $160 billion through cuts to federal contracts and staff, but it has given few details publicly about what it is doing to modernize technology to make the government more efficient. The update of the Pentagon software, which DOGE has not publicly confirmed, is the only known example of that effort bearing fruit. Currently, most federal RIFs are done manually - with HR employees poring over spreadsheets containing data on employee seniority, veteran status and performance, three sources told Reuters. The new software is being rolled out just as larger agencies such as the Department of Veterans Affairs are set to move forward with plans to eliminate some 80,000 jobs. The Internal Revenue Service has said it wants to slash its payrolls by 40%, according to media reports. The tool will allow agencies "to remove a massive number of federal employees from their positions," if it works, said Nick Bednar, an associate professor of law at the University of Minnesota who has been tracking the government layoffs. "What DOGE has started is going to continue without Elon Musk," Bednar said. AutoRIF was developed by the Pentagon more than a quarter century ago. It pulled data from its HR system, sifted through firing rules quickly and produced names of employees eligible to be laid off. But it was difficult to migrate it to other agencies, whose workers had to manually input data on potential candidates for dismissal, a cumbersome process that is subject to errors. The program, described as "clunky" by a 2020 Pentagon HR newsletter, also would allow only one employee to work on a RIF, two sources said. The upgrade makes it web-based, easing employee access to the tool while enabling multiple people to work on a mass layoff, three sources said. It also allows for the upload of employee data for analysis, freeing HR workers from having to manually input personal records of possible targets for dismissal. While speed is a clear advantage, the software could pose other challenges, according to Don Moynihan, a professor at the University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy. "If you automate bad assumptions into a process, then the scale of the error becomes far greater than an individual could undertake," Moynihan said. "It won't necessarily help them to make better decisions and it won't make those decisions more popular," Moynihan added. Trump's drive to downsize and reshape the government already has led to the gutting of entire agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development as well as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which seeks to protect Americans from financial abuses. The government overhaul has led to numerous lawsuits that seek to block the Trump administration from moving forward with some of the planned dismissals.
Fast Company
08-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
How this revamped software will speed up DOGE layoffs in the U.S.
The federal human resources agency at the heart of billionaire Elon Musk's efforts to slash the federal workforce is poised to roll out software to speed layoffs across the U.S. government, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The software could turbocharge the rapid-fire effort to downsize the government at a time when a number of larger federal agencies are preparing to execute plans for mass layoffs of tens of thousands of workers. Some 260,000 government workers already have accepted buyouts, early retirement or been laid off since Republican President Donald Trump returned to the presidency in January, according to a Reuters tally. The process has been far from smooth. Some workers were mistakenly fired and had to be rehired. The software is an updated version of a decades-old Pentagon program, known as AutoRIF, that had been little used in recent years. Under direction from Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), software developers at the U.S. Office Of Personnel Management (OPM) have created a more user-friendly web-based version over the past few months that provides targets for layoffs much more quickly than the current labor-intensive manual process, four sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The program is poised to be rolled out to the agencies by OPM just as Musk steps back from DOGE, which has driven the downsizing effort, to focus more on Tesla and his other companies. AutoRIF's name comes from 'Reduction in Force,' a term used to describe mass layoffs. The revamped version has been given the more benign-sounding name 'Workforce Reshaping Tool,' three sources said. With the software revamp now complete, OPM will lead demonstrations, user testing and start adding new users in the coming weeks, one of the sources said. DOGE, OPM, the White House, Pentagon and Musk did not respond to requests for comment. Wired magazine was first to report on the revamp effort. But Reuters is reporting for the first time on the completion of that revamp, the capabilities of the new program, rollout plans and its new name. JOB-CUTTING SCYTHE Trump established DOGE to modernize government software, cut spending and drastically reduce the size of the federal workforce, which he complains is bloated and wasteful. DOGE has said it has saved more than $160 billion through cuts to federal contracts and staff, but it has given few details publicly about what it is doing to modernize technology to make the government more efficient. The update of the Pentagon software, which DOGE has not publicly confirmed, is the only known example of that effort bearing fruit. Currently, most federal RIFs are done manually—with HR employees poring over spreadsheets containing data on employee seniority, veteran status and performance, three sources told Reuters. The new software is being rolled out just as larger agencies such as the Department of Veterans Affairs are set to move forward with plans to eliminate some 80,000 jobs. The Internal Revenue Service has said it wants to slash its payrolls by 40%, according to media reports. The tool will allow agencies 'to remove a massive number of federal employees from their positions,' if it works, said Nick Bednar, an associate professor of law at the University of Minnesota who has been tracking the government layoffs. 'What DOGE has started is going to continue without Elon Musk,' Bednar said. AutoRIF was developed by the Pentagon more than a quarter century ago. It pulled data from its HR system, sifted through firing rules quickly and produced names of employees eligible to be laid off. But it was difficult to migrate it to other agencies, whose workers had to manually input data on potential candidates for dismissal, a cumbersome process that is subject to errors. The program, described as 'clunky' by a 2020 Pentagon HR newsletter, also would allow only one employee to work on a RIF, two sources said. The upgrade makes it web-based, easing employee access to the tool while enabling multiple people to work on a mass layoff, three sources said. It also allows for the upload of employee data for analysis, freeing HR workers from having to manually input personal records of possible targets for dismissal. While speed is a clear advantage, the software could pose other challenges, according to Don Moynihan, a professor at the University of Michigan's Ford School of Public Policy. 'If you automate bad assumptions into a process, then the scale of the error becomes far greater than an individual could undertake,' Moynihan said. 'It won't necessarily help them to make better decisions and it won't make those decisions more popular,' Moynihan added. Trump's drive to downsize and reshape the government already has led to the gutting of entire agencies such as the U.S. Agency for International Development as well as the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which seeks to protect Americans from financial abuses. The government overhaul has led to numerous lawsuits that seek to block the Trump administration from moving forward with some of the planned dismissals.
