Seeking Jobs and Purpose, Fired Federal Workers Form New Networks

When Scott Gagnon was fired from his government job earlier this year, he and his laid-off colleagues kept in touch to vent, comfort each other and share job opportunities. It quickly turned into an informal but crucial support group.

And they happened to be uniquely qualified for the task, having worked at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a relatively small agency within the Department of Health and Human Services.

“It was very familiar territory for us to rally around each other, knowing that we’re all going through this trauma, being separated from jobs that we all loved very much,” Mr. Gagnon, 49, the agency’s former New England director, said in an interview.

Their ad hoc network, which meets virtually every couple of weeks, mirrors the way hundreds of laid-off federal employees are dealing with the stress and pain of abruptly losing their livelihoods as part of President Trump and Elon Musk’s slash-and-cut-some-more approach to reshaping the federal work force and government programs. Tens of thousands of civil servants across dozens of government agencies have been fired or have resigned since February.

The groups that have emerged in response are large and small, impromptu and more formal. They meet for happy hours in the Washington area, gather virtually and stay connected through messaging apps. For the most part, those involved said, the focus has been on helping people with similar expertise or experience navigate their next chapter in the private sector or elsewhere.

Getting laid off is difficult for workers in any industry. But federal employees, in many cases, sought out roles in government because of the unique combination of job security, benefits and public service. Not only are people losing their careers, experts said, they are losing a sense of self. Their challenges are compounded now by a job market where fewer and fewer opportunities are available.