Sources say mass federal worker layoff underway
By: Josy Garrison
USA Today
WASHINGTON - Mass layoffs are underway at multiple federal departments, according to union sources and intonate notices reviewed by USA today, a President Donald Trump and top White House official Elon Musk carry out plans to purge the federal workforce.
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Most of the employees let go are recently hired workers. Affected agencies including the Department of Education, the Small Business Administration and the Energy Department, sources said.
..... More than 60 recently hired probationary employees at the Department of Education received termination notices Wednesday [02/12/2025] night spanning multiple areas within the department, including the offices of general counsel, special education and rehabilitation services, and federal student aid. Education Department employees working on a probationary basis were hired within the past year. [2024]
..... "The agency finds, based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the agency would be in the public interest," one of the February 12 [2025] intonate notices to federal student aid employee reads.
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Dozens of probationary employees at the Small Business Administration received similar notices last Friday. [02/07/2025] On Monday, [02/10/2025] they were told it was a mistake before receiving notices in mass on Tuesday, [02/11/2025] a source said. The SBA employees were working on probationary periods this probationary or trial period, it has been determined that your continued employment does not promote the efficiency of the service because you have failed to demonstrate fitness for continued federal employment," a February 11 [2025] termination email sent to at least 45 Small Business Administration employee reads.
..... A union source said dozens of employees at the energy Department have been terminated. It was not immediately clear whether these are also probationary employees.
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About 100 probationary employees received termination letters on Wednesday [02/12/2025] at the General Service Administration, which oversees the federal real estate, Reuters reported, citing two people familiar with the firings.
..... An official at the Office of Personnel Management did not respond to a request for comment.
..... The firings came after Trump - joined by Musk in the Oval Office - signed an executive order Tuesday [02/11/2025] that seeks to significantly reduce the size of the government by instructing heads of federal departments and agencies to undertake plans for :large-scale reductions in force."
..... Departments were ordered to implement a "workforce optimization initiative" cerated by Musk's Department of government Efficiency, which has been moving rapidly form one department to another to slash spending and gut programs.
..... In a related push to cut the federal workforce, the Trump administration offered eight months of pay and benefit to federal workers in exchange for their immediate resignation. About 75,000 workers accepted the offer, which expired Wednesday night. [02/12/2025]
Contributing: Reuters