DOE contractor at INL cutting up to 50 jobs in third workforce reduction this year
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IDAHO FALLS – For the third time this year, the U.S. Department of Energy is making staffing cutbacks for contractors operating at the Idaho National Laboratory.
In an email to EastIdahoNews.com on Monday afternoon, INL spokeswoman Sarah Neumann confirmed a workforce reduction is happening at the Specific Manufacturing Capability, which manufactures tank armor for the U.S. Army. Battelle Energy Alliance, which manages SMC, notified employees on Thursday, July 30, about a workforce reduction affecting up to 50 people.
“The reduction is a result of a decline in orders impacting SMC’s staffing needs. While future armor requests are anticipated, this reduction is necessary to align SMC’s workforce with current production levels,” Neumann says. “BEA is continuously adapting and aligning INL’s workforce to meet the needs of our customers. We remain focused on ensuring we have the right people, skills, and capabilities in place to deliver on INL’s mission.”
Neumann says the reduction is expected to be completed by Sept. 30.
Earlier this year, BEA announced similar reductions at other facilities. On Feb. 11, fewer than 50 people were let go through what officials called “an involuntary separation program.”
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Another DOE contractor, the Idaho Environmental Coalition — which manages nuclear waste cleanup operations at INL — used the same terminology on Feb. 12 when it confirmed fewer than 50 employees were let go.
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About 300 people work at SMC, according to Neumann.