Senior public-health officials are reportedly being asked to rank thousands of employees on how vital they are to agency functions

A person with a microphone stands in front of a protest sign. (Credit: Kayla Bartkowski—Getty Images)

• Senior employees at the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have been asked to rank probationary employees based on how critical they are to the agencies, according to multiple reports. The task comes in tandem with the White House reportedly working on an executive order to eliminate thousands of HHS jobs, which it denies.

Amid seismic shifts in the federal workforce, senior employees at the Department of Health and Human Services are reportedly being asked to rank thousands of employees on their importance to agency operations.