By By: Alphanso G Kalama;
In response to directives from Donald Trump’s administration, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has placed several employees on mandatory administrative leave, requiring them to remain accessible via phone and email.
A memorandum dated February 4, 2025, and signed by USAID Deputy Administrator for Policy and Planning, Pete Morocco, confirmed that affected employees will continue to receive pay during the leave period until further notice.
The agency has explicitly instructed workers on leave not to access USAID premises or internal systems without prior approval from a designated supervisor.
“During the period that you are on administrative leave, you are not to enter USAID premises, access USAID systems, or attempt to use your position or authority with USAID in any way without prior permission from a supervisor in your chain of command,” the memo states.
This decision follows an earlier announcement that all directly hired USAID personnel worldwide—except for those handling mission-critical functions, core leadership roles, and specially designated programs—would be placed on administrative leave.
Credit: U.S Time
