Former USAID employees didn’t get a longer farewell—just 15 minutes, a safety bodyguard, and a reminder that their belongings does end up in a authorities warehouse if they don’t act quickly.
The company, which is being gutted under the Trump administration’s performance generate led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Performance, has laid out stringent guidelines for ex-staffers retrieving personal items from its Washington, DC, office.
A recognize posted Tuesday detailed the no-nonsense strategy: arrive at your assigned newscast on Thursday or Friday, move through security screening, get your stuff —no government records allowed—and get out. The New York Post reported that those who don’t show up will have their belongings boxed up and stored in storage without any assurances of safety.
On-site security and law enforcement will be in charge of the procedure. Employers are required to bring their own bags and boxes; USAID won’t even be supplying a roll of tape.
The agency, long criticized for wasteful spending, is being dismantled as part of Trump’s efforts to streamline government operations. About 1, 600 employees are being let go, with USAID’s core functions expected to be absorbed by the State Department.
As former employees cleared out another USAID office, which was met by a crowd of supporters outside, emotional scenes occurred last week. But for those heading back this week, there won’t be much time for goodbyes—just 15 minutes to pack up and move on.
