FDA telework reversal comes after layoffs and resignations disrupted core operations, forcing the agency to reinstate remote work.
An internal email obtained by the Associated Press confirmed that FDA review staff and supervisors can now telework at least two days a week. The abrupt shift follows a wave of layoffs and resignations that threatened essential functions like drug and vaccine approvals.
A Workforce in Crisis
The FDA let go of more than 3,400 employees—over 15% of its workforce—in recent weeks, cutting entire offices involved in regulations, food safety, and communications. Many top officials either resigned or faced dismissal, creating widespread uncertainty.
The layoffs were part of the Trump administration’s restructuring of federal health agencies, led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who initially claimed frontline medical reviewers would be spared.
The FDA laid off some of these very reviewers, then recalled them in February after operations began to break down.
A Financial Threat to FDA Operations
The consequences reach beyond staffing. The FDA relies heavily on user fees from pharmaceutical and biotech companies, which fund nearly half of its $7 billion budget.
If Congress fails to maintain baseline funding, these user-fee agreements may collapse, allowing companies to withhold or claw back funding, threatening the agency’s financial stability.
FDA and industry groups are scheduled to begin negotiations later this year to renew those user-fee agreements—raising concerns about whether the agency can meet performance standards with a gutted workforce.
Makary Steps In to Stabilize the FDA
Newly confirmed FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary is attempting to steady the ship. He approved the new telework policy, aimed at rebuilding morale and productivity.
Former HHS official Steven Grossman praised the move, saying:
“Turning commuting time back into work time is a great first step in achieving both [rebuilding and productivity].”
The policy change appears to be a recognition that the FDA’s survival depends on retaining its skilled workforce, even if that means returning to remote work models.
Source: AP News
