RICHMOND, Va. — Nearly three dozen employees were laid off this week at the Richmond VA Medical Center, marking another round of job cuts amid ongoing federal government reductions initiated by President Trump and Elon Musk.
The Trump administration insists the layoffs are part of a broader effort to cut government costs and improve efficiency.
According to union officials, the latest reductions bring the total number of jobs cut at the Richmond center to about 50 within the last two weeks.
The layoffs took many employees by surprise, with no warning or documentation provided prior to their terminations, they said.
Beatrice Robinson, a data analyst who has served at the VA for four years and recently moved to Richmond from Texas, said she was devastated over losing the job she loved.
She says she found out only because she couldn't log into her work email account. The IT administrator told her it was because she'd been "separated."
"I questioned the lady on the other side of the phone, and she told me to just contact my leadership," said Robinson. "And that's exactly what I did. And it was a surprise to them. They had no idea that I was let go. They thought that I still had a job."
Robinson had been unaware that her recent promotion actually made her a probationary employee once again, despite her years with the VA, and thus she was vulnerable to layoffs.
"I've had four years under my belt of consecutive service and have not had a break in service. Only thing that I can say is I'm just devastated. Honestly, it hurt," she said. "It's a lot on my mental health, because I don't know what tomorrow is going to bring."
She emphasized her strong performance, noting that all her previous evaluations were excellent.
"I'm crushed. I had expectations to work and learn and just be a part of the mission," said Robinson. "I come from a veteran family. My father served. I just wanted to make them proud, but now I don't know what my future holds."
The VA has not yet commented on how these cuts will affect the care veterans can expect to receive.
Earlier this week, the VA announced that 1,400 jobs were cut nationwide.
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In response to her termination, Robinson stated she plans to fight for her job with the help of her union.
The Trump administration has indicated it may continue to eliminate employee positions, with agency leaders required to submit plans for reductions by March 13.
These moves signal a potential dramatic realignment of the federal workforce, targeting not only probationary employees but also career officials with civil service protection—a shift hinted at in an executive order signed by Trump and executed by Musk.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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