By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Trump administration said on Sunday that federal employees involved in public safety positions, such as air traffic controllers, are exempt from a financial incentive to quit government jobs.
On Tuesday, the White House offered 2 million civilian full-time federal workers a “deferred resignation program” to remain on the payroll through Sept. 30 but without having to work.
The Office of Personnel Management said in an updated fact sheet that the offer did not apply to “positions related to public safety and those in other positions specifically excluded by your employing agency.”
A White House spokesperson did not immediately comment on how many public safety positions are exempted.
OPM previously said the offer was unavailable to military personnel, U.S. Postal Service workers and positions related to immigration enforcement and national security.
President Donald Trump has imposed a hiring freeze on most federal jobs but exempted some positions. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy told CNN air traffic controllers and inspectors were exempt from the freeze and the FAA is actively hiring controllers.
“The critical positions in regard to safety are not offered that early retirement. We’re going to keep all our safety positions in place, no early retirement,” Duffy said. “We’re all going to stay and work and make sure our skies are safe.”
Air traffic controllers received early retirement offers last week, sparking concerns among airlines about the impact a wave of departures could have on flights.
The FAA has previously said it is 3,000 controllers behind staffing targets. A union representing controllers said there are about 10,800 certified controllers — about the same as 2023 — and down about 10% from 2012. Nearly all U.S. control towers remain below staffing targets.
“We haven’t had enough air traffic controllers in America for a very long time,” Duffy told “Fox News Sunday”, noting it takes years to train controllers. “Our air traffic controllers — they are stressed out, they are tapped out, they are overworked.”
In recent years, the FAA has been forced to routinely assign controllers six-day work weeks and slow air traffic in the New York area.
(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
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