The Trump administration has begun mass firing probationary federal workers as part of its overall strategy to reduce the size of the government workforce. The latest government information indicates that over 200,000 newly appointed federal workers are serving their probationary periods and are thus at high risk of being fired.
Government Agencies Instructed to Reduce Probationary Workers
US media on Thursday reported that agency heads have been ordered to lay off most trial and probationary employees since they have fewer civil service protections. Workers in those positions can be fired more readily than permanent employees.
One of the affected employees from the United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM), who wished to remain anonymous when talking to AFP, shared that she was terminated while participating in a video conference with about 100 employees. Most on the conference call were in their probationary status and were told that they were being terminated because of performance.
Within minutes of the call’s end, the employee was sent a formal letter of termination by acting OPM director Charles Ezell. Her system access was within an hour withdrawn.
The White House and OPM press offices were not immediately available for comment.
White House Buyout Offer Aims to Trim Workforce
Thursday’s dismissals follow a White House program headed by OPM to reduce the number of government workers by providing an eight-month payout to employees who will quit.
A Friday email, “Fork in the Road,” outlined the offer to quit while alerting employees who didn’t participate that they could be let go during subsequent rounds of layoffs. Over 65,000 federal workers took the offer, White House statistics report.
Employees Face Tough Choices
One of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) employees who took the buyout cited concerns regarding job security.
“This was my dream job,” the HUD worker said. “It just became very clear to me that the writing is on the wall. I might as well take the best cushion I have to put myself in the best situation to take the time I need to find a new position.”
A HUD spokesperson didn’t return an email request for comment. With the aggressive drive by the Trump administration to slash federal employment, thousands more federal workers could suffer the same fate in the months ahead.
