The Trump administration is advancing towards what could be its largest round of federal government layoffs to date. According to multiple sources, federal agencies have been instructed to submit layoff plans by March 13. This development is part of a broader downsizing initiative led by the Elon Musk-headed Department of Government Efficiency.
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While the exact number of affected federal employees remains unclear, the Trump administration has already executed several high-profile firings. These include the termination of at least 17 inspectors general, the chief financial officer at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) along with three other FEMA officials, U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Linda Fagan, over a dozen prosecutors involved in cases against Trump, at least nine senior FBI agents, and the director of the Office of Government Ethics.
The administration's mass layoffs have sparked criticism from some Republican senators. Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska highlighted the firing of more than 100 Alaskans, expressing concerns that these actions might cause more harm than good. Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana criticized the layoffs at the FBI, emphasizing that firing a large number of agents is not a sustainable way to achieve governmental efficiency.
The layoffs primarily target probationary employees, who are newer to the federal workforce and lack certain job protections, such as the right to appeal terminations. The federal workforce includes over 200,000 probationary workers, according to data from the Office of Personnel Management.
The Trump administration has also offered voluntary resignations with benefits to all federal workers, leading to 75,000 federal employees accepting the offer. However, the legality of these terminations is under scrutiny, with several lawsuits filed against the administration for not adhering to federal regulations.
Federal regulations mandate a 60-day notice for mass layoffs, and the position must be eliminated rather than replaced. Employees who feel that protocols were violated can appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board. Additionally, there are legal protections for independent boards, requiring presidential justification for dismissals.
The Trump administration aims to cut budgets by 30% to 40% across various agencies. These budget cuts, spearheaded by Elon Musk, are part of an effort to streamline government operations. Personnel changes are also anticipated at the Department of Justice, focusing on employees involved in investigations related to the January 6 Capitol riots.
Trump has signed an executive order to reinstate Schedule F, a policy from his first term that reclassifies certain federal employees, making it easier to terminate them by removing their job protections. This move has been met with lawsuits from multiple unions.
For more on the lawsuits involving Trump and Elon Musk, see Forbes' articles on the challenges faced by inspectors general and the federal worker buyout program.
