Acting OPM director orders immediate terminations of probationary federal employees, sparking outrage from unions and legal challenges.
The acting director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has instructed agency heads to begin terminating federal employees who are on their probationary period, according to a source privy to the decision. This move may come as a surprise to these employees, as their probationary period typically spans a year or longer after their initial hiring.
However, an OPM spokesperson clarified to Scripps News that 'the probationary period is a continuation of the job application process, not an entitlement to permanent employment.' They added, 'Agencies are taking independent action in light of the recent hiring freeze and in support of the President's broader efforts to restructure and streamline the federal government to better serve the American people at the highest possible standard.'Unions representing government workers have vehemently condemned this decision, vowing to challenge the firings 'every step of the way.' Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, stated, 'Despite OPM's guidance earlier this week advising agencies not to engage in sweeping terminations, the administration has plowed forward. Employees were given no notice, no due process, and no opportunity to defend themselves in a blatant violation of the principles of fairness and merit that are supposed to govern federal employment.' This action marks the latest development in a near-government-wide effort to shrink the administrative workforce. Federal workers faced a deadline this week to either stay in their positions or accept a buyout offer, which the government claimed would provide them with their salaries through September. Unions and civil rights organizations have filed lawsuits to halt the proposal, arguing that it is unconstitutional and expressing concerns that it may not be honored. President Donald Trump also signed an executive order on Tuesday aimed at drastically reducing the size of the federal workforce. The order includes a mandate that for every four positions eliminated, the government can only hire one new position. The White House asserted that the order directs the government to eliminate agencies or parts of agencies whose 'functions aren’t required by law.
Federal Employees Hiring Freeze Government Restructuring President Trump Union Protests
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