All employees at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health who received layoff notices last year have now been fully reinstated, according to union officials.
The American Federation of Government Employees says the Department of Health and Human Services has reversed its April 2025 reduction in force and revoked all notices sent to NIOSH workers.
The layoffs were part of a broader HHS restructuring that aimed to cut about 1,000 positions nationwide, including scientists and safety experts. The move drew strong pushback, especially in West Virginia, where NIOSH’s Morgantown facility plays a key role in coal miner and firefighter health research.
Union leaders credit employee advocacy and legal action for the reversal.