A controversial new software tool is being implemented stealthily across U.S. government agencies with a single purpose: speed federal firings. Supported by Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the Workforce Reshaping Tool is a web-based replacement for the Pentagon's old AutoRIF program. It's designed to speed what was formerly a time-consuming, spreadsheet-based process—a swift, algorithmic solution.

Behind it all is a broader trend toward federal workforce automation, a notion rapidly shifting from theory to reality. Supporters claim it's about modernization and cost savings. Critics worry it's about pinching—and on human beings.

Layoffs Already Underway

Since President Donald Trump returned to office in January, nearly 260,000 federal workers have departed from their positions due to buyouts, early departure, or outright firing, according to a Reuters tally. The transition, however, has not been smooth. Dozens of employees were erroneously fired and then rehired, which points to loopholes in the present manual procedure.

As the new tool becomes a reality, drastic cuts are expected to rise. Organizations such as the Department of Veterans Affairs will be eliminating tens of thousands of positions, and the Internal Revenue Service has indicated plans to reduce its staff by 40%.

Workforce Reshaping Tool: A Deeper Insight

Originally named AutoRIF (Reduction in Force), the program was developed by the Pentagon more than 25 years ago to search employee records and identify layoff targets based on seniority, performance, and veteran status. But it was slow to use and prone to errors. The new version, designed by OPM developers for the use of Musk's DOGE, is cloud-based and supports real-time collaboration among HR staff. Agencies need not manually enter individual data points but can bulk upload databases for faster analysis. This reduces the time it takes to carry out a mass layoff by orders of magnitude.

Its proponents see the tool as a required step in federal government workforce automation that will make the government more responsive and flexible during periods of agency reorganization or budget stringency.

Problems of Speed and Equity

But not everyone is so sure. Public sector unions and lawyers fear that making redundancies automatic will lead to arbitrary, if not downright discriminatory, results. "If bad assumptions are built into the software, those assumptions can scale up quickly," said Don Moynihan of the Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan.

The software also comes as there are legal battles, with a number of lawsuits brought to oppose recent agency reductions. All agencies, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, have already experienced substantial staffing cuts.

Despite all these controversies, the rollout of the Workforce Reshaping Tool signals the end of federal workforce automation as a future possibility—it's now a reality. And while Elon Musk steps back from DOGE to focus on his private business, OPM will now spearhead the rollout of the tool to agencies.