A new analysis shows the U.S. Department of Education is paying more than $7 million a month to employees forced to go on administrative leave as part of the Trump administration’s plan to dismantle the agency.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 252, the union that represents department employees, analyzed over 900 salaries of affected employees and determined the cost to the Department of Education is well over $7 million as the figure does not include employee benefits or managers’ pay, CNN reports.
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The analysis also calculated that the department has already paid $21 million to the employees who haven’t been able to work in three months. The department announced on March 11 that it had laid off about 1,300 people — nearly 50% of its workforce. Several hundred additionally employees also took voluntary buyouts.
Under the terms of the layoffs, impacted employees were to be paid their salaries through June 9, their last day of employment. However, in response to two lawsuits that said President Trump’s plan to shut down the department was illegal, a May federal court decision blocked the executive order. As a result, the employees were reinstated and placed on administrative leave, meaning they are employed but not able to work as lawsuits continue.
Several department employees on administrative leave told CNN they are ashamed to collect a paycheck.
“It feels like garbage to receive pay in exchange for doing nothing. I also feel shame because on some level I feel like a parasite for American taxpayers,” said Ariel Shepetovskiy, a Department of Education lawyer who lost access to computer systems and email accounts needed to do her work. “If I leave my position then there’s no chance of me ever being able to do my job again. I’m trying to do my best to be productive, but I am also sad. I am frustrated and upset every day.”
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In an email sent to affected employees Friday, the agency said they would continue to be employed and that it is assessing how to “reintegrate you back to the office in the most seamless way possible.”
“This includes evaluating necessary updates to security access, technology, and workspaces to ensure full operability,” the email continued.
