ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK

Volunteer Agency Staff Put on Leave After DOGE Pays a Call

AmeriCorps placed hundreds of its employees on administrative leave.

Following a visit by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), AmeriCorps Interim Director Jennifer Bastress Tahmasebi placed hundreds of its employees on leave Wednesday, saying in a memo that AmeriCorps staff would be placed on leave immediately, according to Politico. An AmeriCorps employee who received the memo expressed concern about the impact: “I worry about the impact that this will have on grantees, members, and volunteers who have committed themselves to providing service for Americans,” the employee said. This comes after DOGE members visited AmeriCorps’ Washington, D.C., headquarters more than a week ago to announce its plans to cut the workforce by “up to 50 percent or more.” Around half of AmericaCorp’s 600 employees have already accepted deferred resignations. An employee told Politico that only a few program heads and senior officials are still active after Wednesday. The agency also terminated the contracts of 1,500 volunteers from the National Civilian Community Corps, a community service program for young adults, placing them all on administrative leave until April 30.