On Friday, the Trump administration accelerated its initiative to significantly reduce the government workforce. Employees from various federal agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency and the Agriculture Department, received notice that they would be losing their jobs. This move is part of President Trump’s broader endeavor, in collaboration with Elon Musk, to curtail government spending and reorganize federal operations. The focus is particularly on the 200,000 probationary employees, who lack the employment protections that many other federal workers enjoy.
At the EPA, officials announced the dismissal of 388 probationary employees, stating the goal was to create a more efficient and impactful federal government. Laura Gentile, the agency’s spokesperson, emphasized that these actions align with the president’s directive to serve all Americans more effectively.
The Energy Department experienced some of the most significant reductions, initiating layoffs on Thursday. Approximately 1,000 probationary employees, including over 300 from the National Nuclear Security Administration and around 50 from the loan programs office, which supports new energy technologies, were informed of their dismissal. This substantial workforce reduction caused some confusion, with reports indicating that certain staff members were asked to return to work shortly after being let go.
Terminations also hit the Bonneville Power Administration and Western Area Power Administration, which manage much of the electrical grid in the West. Responses from the Department of Energy were not provided upon request. Meanwhile, the U.S. Forest Service, under the Agriculture Department, began letting go of around 3,400 probationary employees, excluding roles critical for public safety such as firefighters and law enforcement.
Efforts to streamline the federal workforce heightened on Thursday, the same day that officials from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) convened with agency leaders to advise on widespread layoffs of probationary workers. Agencies were instructed to submit detailed reports to OPM by the following Tuesday, outlining which employees were dismissed and retained along with a rationale for these decisions.
Typically, federal employees undergo a probationary period lasting about a year, although this can extend for particular roles. As of May, about 220,000 federal employees were within their first year of service. In a bold strategy to rapidly downsize, the Trump administration recently offered over two million federal employees the option to resign while still receiving pay through September’s end. Approximately 75,000 accepted this offer before a federal judge refused to halt the program.
Agencies anticipate further staffing reductions, with the IRS reportedly preparing to lay off a significant number of employees in the coming week. The abrupt nature of these cuts left many workers in disbelief, and there are concerns about the potential negative impact on government services.
Katherine Tasheff, a manager at the Office of Personnel Management’s web team, was informed of her job loss via email. She expressed concerns that the dissolution of her department might hinder federal workers’ ability to access crucial information on benefits and policies.
Ms. Tasheff noted that past mismanagement led to inconsistent information on the agency’s website, an issue she aimed to resolve. An OPM official assured that other employees would continue maintaining the website.
The ongoing layoffs drew criticism from union officials and Democratic lawmakers, with Senator Patty Murray voicing concerns over the termination of 400 probationary employees at the Bonneville Power Administration. She highlighted the diverse range of essential workers affected by these dismissals, warning of adverse effects on grid reliability.
Senator Murray stressed that the workers include individuals crucial to maintaining infrastructure, such as electricians, engineers, and cybersecurity experts. She criticized the administration’s approach as uninformed and dismissive of the workers’ vital contributions.
President Trump, however, asserted that reducing the federal workforce would yield significant financial benefits and improve government functionality. According to a spokesperson for the OPM, the administration’s actions reinforce its commitment to restructuring government operations, emphasizing that the probationary period does not guarantee permanent employment.
This report included contributions from Hiroko Tabuchi, Reid J. Epstein, Andrew Duehren, Alan Rappeport, Tyler Pager, and Linda Qiu.
