TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - 20 Florida Department of Education employees are losing their jobs, just as the new year begins due to budget cuts.
Richard Johnson, Finance and accounting director for the Office of Student Financial Assistance said "All I know at this point is that I was called in yesterday at around 11 o'clock and advised that my position was being eliminated."
Johnson worked for the Department of Education for almost six years and felt secure in his job.
For the 20 employees being laid off, they were told their last day of employment is January 31st. Johnson isn't shy about how he feels the Department of Education handled the whole situation leading up to the lay offs.
"The biggest disappointment from their perspective is just the communication. When someone would try to get it out of them, we were treated very badly," said Johnson.
While Johnson told WTXL the lay-offs came unexpectedly, the Department of Education told us the move was made because of budget cuts.
The Department of Education specified that 15 career service and five select exempt positions are being eliminated due to budgetary changes that look place over the past few years. They also said the department will do as much as possible to help those employees find another job with the state and provide instruction on how to do so.
