Workers across the U.S. responded with anger and confusion Friday as they grappled with the Trump administration’s aggressive effort to shrink the federal workforce. Agencies were ordered to lay off probationary employees who had yet to qualify for civil service protections.
While much of the administration’s focus was on disrupting bureaucracy in Washington, the broad effort to slash government jobs affected workers nationwide. As layoff notices were sent out agency by agency, federal employees from Michigan to Florida were left reeling after being told their services were no longer needed.
In a sign of the disorganized nature of the firings, some who received layoff notices had already accepted the administration’s deferred resignation offer, which promised payment until Sept. 30 if they agreed to resign. This raised questions about whether others who signed the deal would still be fired. On Friday evening, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which serves as the federal government's human resources department, acknowledged that some employees may have been terminated in error and assured that buyout agreements would be honored.
“This has been slash and burn,” said Nicholas Detter, a natural resource specialist in Kansas who helped farmers reduce soil and water erosion before being fired by email late Thursday night. He said little thought was given to how employees—or the farmers and ranchers they assisted—would be affected.
“None of this has been done thoughtfully or carefully,” he said.
The White House and OPM declined to say how many probationary workers—who generally have less than a year on the job—had been dismissed. According to government data maintained by OPM, 220,000 workers had been in their positions for less than a year as of March 2024.
OPM has given agencies until 8 p.m. Tuesday to issue layoff notices, according to a source familiar with the plan who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
The probationary layoffs mark the latest step in the administration’s sweeping efforts to reduce the federal workforce, led by billionaire Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In an executive order Tuesday, Trump directed agency leaders to plan for “large-scale reductions.”
Andrew Lennox, a 10-year Marine veteran, was participating in a supervisor training program at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, when he received an unexpected email Thursday evening informing him of his termination.
“In order to help veterans, you just fired a veteran,” said Lennox, 35, a former U.S. Marine Corps infantryman deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria.
Lennox had been working as an administrative officer at the VA since mid-December and said he “would love nothing more” than to keep his job.
“This is my family, and I would like to do this forever,” he said.
In a statement on its website, the VA announced the dismissal of more than 1,000 employees, claiming the cuts would “save the department more than $98 million per year” and improve its ability to serve veterans.
David Rice, a disabled Army paratrooper on probation at the U.S. Department of Energy since September, also learned Thursday night that he had lost his job.
Rice, who worked as a foreign affairs specialist on health issues related to radiation exposure, said he had been led to believe his position was secure. But when he logged into his computer for a meeting with Japanese representatives, he saw an email informing him of his termination.
The administration’s initial voluntary buyout program was accepted by only 75,000 workers.
The Layoffs Begin
On Thursday night, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced the dismissal of more than 1,000 employees with less than two years of service. Among them were researchers working on cancer treatment, opioid addiction, prosthetics, and burn pit exposure, according to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat.
Dozens were fired from the Education Department, including special education specialists and student aid officials, according to a union representing agency workers.
At the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 1,300 probationary employees—about one-tenth of the agency’s workforce—are being forced out. The CDC’s leadership was informed of the decision Friday morning, according to a federal official present at the meeting, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the orders.
Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Friday that her agency welcomed Musk’s DOGE team “with open arms” and that layoffs “will be forthcoming.”
“Clearly, it’s a new day,” Rollins said at the White House. “I think the American people spoke on November 5th—they believe government is too big.”
Source: UNB
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