Trump administration orders mass layoff sparks anxiety among federal employees

The Trump administration has intensified its plan to downsize the government as it continues to fire several US federal workers.
Since Donald Trump and Elon Musk entered the government, federal workers have been anxious about their future. On Tuesday Trump signed an executive order Tuesday that told agency leaders to plan for “large-scale reductions in force.”
Elon Musk, whom President Trump has given wide leeway to slash government spending with his department of government efficiency (Doge), advocated for the complete elimination of certain agencies during a video address to the World Governments Summit in Dubai, UAE. “I think we do need to delete entire agencies as opposed to leave a lot of them behind,” Musk said. “If we don’t remove the roots of the weed, then it’s easy for the weed to grow back.”
The Trump administration on Thursday ordered agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who had not yet gained civil service protection. The directive affected workers who had not yet secured civil service protection, with some agencies receiving warnings about impending substantial staff cuts, AP News Agency reported.
The Office of Personnel Management issued the notification regarding probationary workers, typically those employed for less than a year. A source who requested anonymity due to lack of authorisation confirmed this development.
The personnel office experienced immediate effects, with numerous probationary staff members being informed of their dismissal during a Thursday afternoon group call and instructed to vacate the premises within 30 minutes, according to an anonymous source.
The American Federation of Government Employees president, Everett Kelley, criticised the administration’s use of probationary status, describing it as a politically motivated mass dismissal targeting employees hired before Trump’s presidency.
The latest directive expanded previous OPM guidance that mandated the dismissal of underperforming probationary employees. Government data from March 2024 indicates approximately 220,000 employees had less than one year of service.
The dismissals began earlier this week, affecting various departments including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Department of Education. The Education Department dismissed 39 staff members on Wednesday, including civil rights workers and education specialists.
The reductions impacted Department of Veterans Affairs researchers studying critical issues such as cancer treatment and opioid addiction, according to US Senator Patty Murray, who expressed concern about the arbitrary nature of these dismissals.
The Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service faced particular challenges due to these reductions, potentially affecting slaughterhouse inspection requirements, according to Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility.
The civilian federal workforce comprises approximately 2.4 million employees, excluding military and postal workers. While 20% work in the Washington DC area and neighbouring states, the majority are based elsewhere.
These reductions may not significantly reduce the deficit. The Congressional Budget Office reported annual civilian federal worker compensation at $271 billion, with defence, homeland security, and veterans affairs departments accounting for 60%.