HHS Announces Restructuring Plan for NIOSH, Fires Two-Thirds of Employees

In late March, the HHS (US Department of Health and Human Services) announced an overall restructuring plan for government health agencies under President Trump’s executive order, “Implementing the President’s ‘Department of Government Efficiency’ Workforce Optimization Initiative.” The restructuring includes massive layoffs from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a small agency within the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 

About 870 out of 1300 NIOSH workers, roughly two-thirds, were fired. Many of these employees worked in departments that played a role in protecting the health and safety of coal miners and firefighters, and many of these departments have been dismantled. The layoffs have received bipartisan criticism as lawmakers and union reps perceive it as an affront to the safety of hard-working Americans on the front lines. 

Background

NIOSH was established in 1970 to ensure healthy working conditions for miners, firefighters, healthcare workers, and more. The agency became well-known to the American public during the COVID pandemic, when consumers were advised to look for its logo on N95 masks to ensure they were authentic and not knock-offs.

NIOSH Cuts Part of Sweeping HHS Overhaul

The NIOSH cuts are part of the Trump administration’s sweeping overhaul of US health agencies, which they say will save taxpayers $1.8 billion annually and increase overall efficiency. The overhaul will include a total downsizing from 82,000 to 62,000 full-time employees.

According to the initial HHS announcement, various health agencies, including NIOSH, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) will be combined into a “new, unified entity” called the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA). It’s still unclear whether those who were let go from NIOSH will be invited to join the new entity.

Critics Cite Important Work of NIOSH

Critics have said that the NIOSH layoffs endanger the safety of American workers. For example, the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, a NIOSH office that tests and certifies fitted masks that protect workers from airborne risks, was shut down. Not only does this endanger the lives of workers in mines, fires, and other dangerous areas, but it gives a competitive economic advantage to China and other countries to send cheap masks that don’t meet the strict quality standards of NIOSH.

NIOSH is also responsible for helping 9/11 first responders qualify for federal government aid under a program entitled the World Trade Center Health Program, headed by Dr. John Howard. Howard was initially let go in the NIOSH layoffs, but the backlash from legislators was so great, he was reinstated. 

In addition to playing a key role in ensuring the safety of working Americans across a broad range of industries, studies have shown that NIOSH research saves millions of dollars annually in avoided workers’ compensation and other costs. 

Therefore, critics of the HHS restructuring plan are likely to continue protesting the firing of thousands of government health agency employees until they receive a satisfactory answer from the administration.