My agency just announced major workforce reduction plans today and I’m honestly at my breaking point. They’re calling it reorganization but we all know what’s really happening here. The timeline starts next month with key decision points every two weeks.
We’re looking at losing at least a third of our staff over the coming months. This isn’t just affecting new hires anymore but hitting everyone across the board. HR keeps talking about protection classifications and proper documentation but I’m not sure any of that matters given how big these cuts are going to be.
I’ve completely lost motivation as a supervisor. When performance review season comes around I’m planning to rate everyone highly no matter what because what’s the point anymore? I’ve even started telling my team to just do the minimum required work since extra effort probably won’t change anything anyway.
This whole situation has me feeling depressed and bringing negative energy home to my spouse and kids. The writing is on the wall that they want fewer people doing the work with technology filling the gaps. I can’t find any positive aspects to focus on right now.
Is anyone else dealing with this level of burnout and just not caring anymore about work outcomes?
Been through three major downsizing rounds and this hits way too close to home. The mental toll on leaders is brutal.
You’re right to worry about your team, but perfect ratings won’t help them. Those scores stick around permanently. When they’re hunting for new roles later, inflated ratings hurt more than honest feedback.
Learned this during a massive restructure at my last company. Thought I was being nice bumping everyone’s scores up. The survivors actually needed honest assessments to improve and move forward.
The depression is real. Started seeing a therapist during our worst round of cuts. Nothing dramatic - just needed someone outside work to process the stress without dragging it home.
What helped was preparing my people for what’s next. Skills training, resume workshops, networking connections. Made me feel less useless as their manager.
The minimum work advice is risky. Agencies remember who checked out during tough times. When things stabilize, you want to be the person who kept things running.
god, this sounds awful. i went thru something similar in 2019 and honestly, the hardest part was watching good people leave. don’t make any big decisions while you’re this stressed - seriously. maybe take some leave if you can swing it? your team needs you steady right now, even if everything feels pointless.
I experienced a situation like this during the 2013 sequestration. The uncertainty proved to be more stressful than the outcome itself. Concentrate on aspects within your control rather than getting weighed down by decisions made at higher levels. It’s crucial to maintain engagement with your team; they will rely on your leadership even when you feel overwhelmed. While it may be tempting to give everyone high performance ratings, consider the long-term consequences of such actions. Additionally, don’t overlook the resources offered by employee assistance programs, as they have expertise in addressing federal workplace challenges.
Frankly, this sounds like classic leadership fatigue during a crisis. I went through similar chaos in 2016 when our department got cut by 40%. The constant uncertainty becomes this grinding weight where every decision feels pointless. Here’s what I wish someone had told me: your disengagement strategy will backfire spectacularly. Stop caring about outcomes and your team notices immediately - morale crashes even faster. They’re already scared about their futures. Having their manager mentally check out makes everything worse. The performance rating thing is especially dangerous. Those records follow people forever in federal service. You think you’re being kind, but you’re setting them up for problems when they need accurate documentation for other positions. What actually helped me was focusing on transition planning instead of waiting for the axe to fall. I started documenting processes, cross-training people, and having honest conversations about who might want to explore other agencies. Gave me something constructive to channel that energy into rather than wallowing in the inevitability of it all.