The Trump administration has intensified its actions to terminate thousands of probationary workers, instructing federal agencies to proceed with layoffs. This move targets probationary employees who have been with the federal government for less than a year or, in some cases, two years, due to their limited job protections and lack of appeal rights.
According to the 2024 data from the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM), more than 200,000 employees have been in federal service for under a year. Thursday's layoffs affected departments such as Energy and Veterans Affairs, following earlier terminations at the Department of Education, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Small Business Administration.
Previously, federal employees were placed on paid administrative leave. However, the new directive signifies a shift in strategy, focusing on underperforming probationary workers who have not demonstrated they deserve permanent employment. An OPM spokesperson emphasized that the probationary period is an extension of the job application process, supporting the President's broader agenda to streamline the federal government.
Since taking office, President Donald Trump and Elon Musk have significantly altered the federal workforce landscape. This includes firing top officials, dismantling key agencies, and encouraging over 75,000 employees to resign voluntarily. The dismissal of probationary workers has been planned since Trump’s first day in office, with a memo from the acting head of OPM ordering agencies to compile lists of probationary workers.
Termination notices were delivered through emails, form letters, and video calls. At OPM, approximately 100 probationary employees were dismissed via a Microsoft Teams call, with their access to government resources revoked shortly after. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) reported that these terminations were due to non-acceptance of a deferred resignation package.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced the dismissal of over 1,000 employees, projecting savings of $98 million annually. Despite this, the department stated that the majority of probationary employees were not affected by the layoffs, ensuring no negative impact on VA services.
As the Department of Energy saw similar dismissals, staff reported being caught off guard. The agency’s acting general counsel instructed department heads to list “mission-critical” employees who might be exempt from the layoffs. The AFGE criticized the administration’s actions, asserting they were politically motivated rather than performance-based.
At the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), both probationary and term employees faced terminations, including those working on advanced technology projects. A former CFPB employee highlighted the personal and financial impacts of the sudden job loss, linked to a workforce optimization executive order aimed at transforming the federal bureaucracy.
Further layoffs were reported across other federal agencies, including 3,400 Forest Service employees and 2,000 Energy Department staffers. As these workforce reductions unfold, the long-term effects on federal agencies and public services remain to be seen.
