Jefferson Lab wants 7% of its workforce, about 65 workers, to agree to resign before the end of August.
It’s part of a restructuring plan at the organization, formally known as the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility, that Director Jens Dilling said is necessary for the lab’s future.
“I want to position the laboratory so we have a bright and secure future, robust against what’s happening in the political world,” Dilling said during his announcement of the plan at a Monday all-staff meeting.
“It means we cannot just do business as usual.”
If the Newport News-based research facility doesn’t hit that mark, leadership will implement a plan for employee layoffs in January.
Dilling was appointed director of the U.S. Department of Energy-contracted laboratory 42 days ago. He took over for Kimberly Sawyer, who held the position for nearly a year.
After spending his first weeks evaluating the state of the organization, Dilling said he’s eyeing changes that can open doors for new projects for the laboratory and elevate ongoing work.
“This will not be a threat to what we’re already doing, but will enhance our capabilities to do more,” he said.
Dilling talked about growing into data science work, aligning with the energy department’s 2023 selection of the laboratory as the lead for its High Performance Data Facility Hub. He also said the lab will lean into artificial intelligence to enhance its work.
“We all use ChatGPT,” Dilling said. “If you’re not using it, you will soon. It is something that is omnipresent and we need to embrace that and use it to our advantage.”
In order to meet his aspirations, Dilling said the workforce has to be reoptimized and restructured with future research in mind.
“This is something we will achieve together with a lot of discussion, with a lot of communication,” he said.
Dilling told employees the decision was made internally, independent of cuts in the federal government. President Donald Trump’s budget includes an 8% cut for nuclear physics research, a key funding source for the lab. It also includes no funds for the High Performance Data Facility. Congress is still finalizing budget appropriations.
Eligible laboratory employees have until Aug. 26 to apply for voluntary separation. Those who apply will have eight days to change their mind. After that, applications will go through multiple reviews with approval or disapproval being based on criteria including the employee’s skill set and the impact their departure would have on operations.
Supervisors will give initial recommendations on approval or denial. Dilling will make his final decisions on applications on Sept. 24. Applicants will find out if their resignation was approved or denied on Oct. 3. If approved, most will leave the lab Oct. 15; exceptions can be made on a case-by-case basis.
“Our intent is to approve as many applications as possible,” said Rhonda Barbosa, chief human resources officer. “If we approve your application, we cannot backfill it for up to one year, so we’ll be carefully going through this process.”
Layoffs could still happen even if the lab hits its 7% goal, though Barbosa said that leadership is not planning for it. If layoffs are implemented, the same criteria used to evaluate voluntary separation will be used. Laid-off workers will also be offered job search help from a placement services firm contracted by Jefferson Lab.
The reduction in staff will mean reprioritization of ongoing work and new timelines for some projects, according to Dilling. Barbosa said division heads will also have to consider the number of contractors under their supervision when looking at separation applications.
“It is something we’ve talked about in terms of what levers can we pull to minimize the impact on the workforce on balance with making sure we have the expertise and skills we need to meet certain requirements,” she said.
Whether voluntary or involuntary, employees who leave Jefferson Lab will receive severance pay based on their length of service with the organization up to a maximum of $50,000.
Those employed continuously with other energy department laboratories before joining Jefferson Lab will have that service included in their severance. For workers who leave, medical benefits will end after October if they do not move onto a new insurance plan.
