Two federal judges have ordered the Trump administration to rehire probationary workers who were part of mass firings across six agencies. The judges found legal problems with the terminations and ordered the employees to be temporarily brought back. The Trump administration has already appealed the ruling, arguing that it infringes on the president’s power to hire and fire employees.
One judge in San Francisco found that the terminations were directed by someone who lacked the authority to do so, while another judge in Baltimore found that the administration did not follow laws requiring advance notice for large-scale layoffs. The judges ordered the workforce to be returned to their status quo before the layoffs began.
Nearly 24,000 probationary employees have been terminated since Trump took office, according to a lawsuit filed by nearly two dozen states. The administration argues that the firings were for performance issues, not large-scale layoffs subject to specific regulations.
The temporary restraining order requires the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, the Interior, and Treasury to offer job reinstatement to probationary employees terminated in February. The judges expressed frustration with the government’s attempt to circumvent laws and regulations governing reductions in the federal workforce.
The mass firings have been criticized as an attack on government agencies and public lands. The judges emphasized the need for truth and transparency in the process of firing probationary workers. There are an estimated 200,000 probationary workers across federal agencies, with about 15,000 in California alone.
Note: The image is for illustrative purposes only and is not the original image associated with the presented article. Due to copyright reasons, we are unable to use the original images. However, you can still enjoy the accurate and up-to-date content and information provided.
