In a farcical turn of events, officials at the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) have found themselves in a bizarre situation: trying to track down employees they just sacked to tell them—whoops!—they’re actually still employed.
The agency, which is responsible for managing the U.S. nuclear stockpile, had issued termination letters to certain probationary employees on Thursday, only to backpedal the very next day. There was just one small problem—those affected had already lost access to their government emails, making it tricky to let them know about their unexpected second chance.
“Can someone pass on the message?”
On Friday, NNSA officials scrambled to correct their mistake, sending an internal email explaining that some of the firings had been reversed. But since they had no personal contact details for many of the dismissed employees, they had to rely on remaining staff to play messenger.
“The termination letters for some NNSA probationary employees are being rescinded, but we do not have a good way to get in touch with those personnel,” the email, obtained by NBC News, stated. In other words: ‘If anyone’s still in touch with Bob from accounting, please let him know he still has a job.’
Mass firings meet nuclear oversight
The bungled sackings came as part of a wave of mass layoffs across federal agencies under the Trump administration’s sweeping efforts to trim the workforce. The NNSA’s cuts were particularly eyebrow-raising, given that they coincided with a Russian drone strike on Ukraine’s Chernobyl power plant. You’d think nuclear security might be a priority, but apparently not.
The Department of Homeland Security was also hit by the cuts, with over 400 employees let go. Critics argue that the administration’s approach to downsizing government is reckless, with over 60 lawsuits already filed against it for alleged overreach and legal violations.
The fallout (pun intended)
The administration’s decision to axe key personnel has sparked outrage from Democrats, labour unions, and progressive groups. Some are questioning the wisdom of gutting agencies responsible for national security, while others are simply baffled at the logistical chaos of it all.
For now, it’s unclear whether all the employees who were “unfired” have actually received the news. If you know someone who used to work at the NNSA and suddenly has a lot of free time, maybe give them a call. They might still have a desk waiting for them.
You may also like: “Which part of Britain would you give away?”: Hartley-Brewer destroys Richard Tice on Ukraine
