Thousands of federal employees, particularly those on probationary terms, are facing job losses in a sweeping effort to reduce the size of the federal workforce under the new administration. These layoffs are causing widespread anxiety and uncertainty among employees who were previously assured of continued employment under the deferred resignation program.
Across federal departments, workers are facing mass layoffs or the imminent threat of job loss. As notices began circulating this week, impacting a wide range of agencies, many affected employees say they had already accepted the administration's deferred resignation offer, which promised continued pay until September 30th in exchange for voluntary departure. This has left some employees bewildered, questioning how many others who signed the agreement will still be terminated.
Nicholas Detter, a natural resource specialist who worked in Kansas assisting farmers with soil and water erosion, was one such impacted employee. He was abruptly fired via email on Thursday night. Detter expressed concern about the lack of consideration for both employees and the farmers he served, characterizing the situation as “slash and burn.” The White House and the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), the federal government's equivalent of a human resources department, have been tight-lipped about the exact number of probationary employees - those typically with less than a year on the job - who have been dismissed so far. According to OPM data from March 2024, 220,000 federal workers fit this category.The administration, led by billionaire Donald Trump, has been aggressively pursuing downsizing the federal workforce. Following an initial voluntary buyout program that only yielded 75,000 participants, Trump issued an executive order on Tuesday instructing agency heads to plan for “large-scale reductions.” The latest round of probationary employee layoffs is part of this larger effort. The firings have spanned various departments, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, where researchers involved in critical areas like cancer treatment, opioid addiction, prosthetics, and burn pit exposure have been let go. The Department of Education has also seen dozens of employees, including special education specialists and student aid officials, lose their jobs. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) faces the most significant impact, with nearly 1,300 probationary employees, roughly one-tenth of its workforce, being forced out
FEDERAL EMPLOYEES LAYOFFS PROBATIONARY WORKERS DONALD TRUMP ADMINISTRATION GOVERNMENT DOWN SIZING OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT
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